Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Saud (Arabic: عبد العزيز بن تركي آل سعود, ‘Abd al-‘Azīz ibn Turkī Āl Su‘ūd) (born 4 June 1983), also known as Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, is a former Saudi racing driver and businessman as well as a member of the House of Saud. Prince Abdulaziz is the minister of sports appointed by King Salman with a royal decree on 25 February 2020.[1]
He claims that he learned to drive at nine years old. His father allowed him behind the wheel of a grey Nissan Patrol, which he drove around in the sand.[5]
In 2010, Abdulaziz bin Turki participated and won several places in the following races: Radical Masters AUH round: 2nd Place; Porsche GT3 CCME Champion 9 wins and 12 podium finishes.[7] The races he participated in 2011 are as follows: 24h Dubai Race with Saudi Falcons, 5th place; Lotus T125 F1 testing in Abudhabi; Porsche GT3 CCME 2nd overall with Most fastest Laps and Most Pole positions; 24h LeMans Official Testing with Porsche Factory Support Team; Hungaroring BMW Z4 GT3 testing; FIA GT3 Championship – 1st place in Algarve Portugal with Team Need for Speed by Schubert Motorsport.[3]
Abdulaziz Al Faisal won the championship title in the first GT3 European championship round organized in the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal in May 2011. He came first with his co-pilot Edward Sandström on a BMW Z4 on the Need for Speed Schubert team. With this success, Abdulaziz Turki became the first Saudi to participate and win a GT3 European championship race.[3]
Abdulaziz Al Faisal was the only Arab driver racing in the ADAC GT Masters in June 2012, one of the world's biggest GT3 championships.[12] He achieved significant success during his first participation in one of the most important GT3 races of the ADAC GT Masters, Rounds 3 and 4 of the championship at Sachsenring circuit in Germany with Schubert Motorsport Team in June 2012.[11] Abdulaziz finished 3rd among 44 cars on the starting grid of Round 4.[11]
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
Abdulaziz participated in Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans together with Sean Edwards and Bret Curtis in June 2012. They managed to qualify the #75 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR a remarkable second in the Pro-Am category in the race.[13]
APSCO, the dealer of Mobil 1 oil in Saudi Arabia, presented an honorary shield to Abdulaziz Al Faisal - the leader of the Saudi Racing team - at Reem International Circuit in Riyadh in 2010. His team received the award for winning 1st place nine times at the Porsche GT3 Middle East Championship, a record number, as well as winning the title of the first edition of this championship. The championship was held over a period of six months on the most famous Arab racing circuits in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. APSCO was a major sponsor of the championship.[16]
Abdulaziz bin Turki was named as ambassador for Road Safety in Shell's 2013 road safety programme in Saudi Arabia.[17] In February 2019, he was appointed president of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee.[2] In August 2020, Arabian Business deemed Abdulaziz as one of the most powerful people in Saudi Arabia.[18]
Abdulaziz bin Turki is the chairman of the Riyadh 2030 committee[19] which won the bid for the 2034 Asian Games.[20]
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