Saudi Arabia determined to offer F1 'the assurances it needs' for the future

Saudi Arabia's authorities says they will enforce all the security measures required by Formula 1 to ensure the sport's continued presence in the country.

Formula 1 is contracted to the Middle East Kingdom for the next 14 years on the basis of a lucrative deal rumored to be worth an annual $65 million.

However, last weekend's missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels on a Saudi Aramco oil storage facility located approximately 10 km away from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit cast a doubt not only on last weekend's event but also on the race's future.

Reassurances were provided to F1 by Saudi authorities in the immediate aftermath of the worrying attack, but a blanket of discomfort lingered on the paddock.

The concern spread to F1's drivers who mulled a boycott during a lengthy meeting of the GPDA on Friday evening. But the group ultimately decided to continue its race weekend, although many remained troubled by the event.

F1 has promised teams and drivers a full debrief in the coming weeks as well as a discussion on how F1's safety can be guaranteed in the future, not only in Saudi Arabia but at any race deemed to carry a specific risk.

Saudi Arabia’s minister for sport, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal, addressed the media after last weekend to explain that the country will undertake whatever F1 requires to make it feel safe upon its return to Jeddah in 2023.

"We haven’t got into the details yet but we are open to discussions," he said. "We are open to sit down, see where the issues are, what the assurances are they need.

"Whatever they want, we are here to host F1 as best as it can be anywhere in the world.

"So we will definitely have an open discussion with them to see what their feedback is, to discuss with them and see what their concerns are about. We will show them everything."

• Read also: Drivers seeking to have a voice on where Formula 1 races

Formula 1 has undergone heavy criticism for its decision to race in Saudi Arabia, given the country's controversial human rights record. But Prince Abdulaziz insists F1 is helping the Kingdom showcase its disposition for change.

"We are here for a long-term partnership for a reason, because we see where we’re going," he said.

"We want to grow with the sport. We know the importance of F1 and we want to be part of the international community.

"We want to be present. We want everyone to come to Saudi Arabia and feel like as if they’re going anywhere else in the world.

"These issues unfortunately do happen, they happen everywhere in the world and we have to deal with them in the best possible way."

As Saudi Arabia embraces its role as a host of international sporting events, Prince Abdulaziz explained that many of the countries strict laws have been changed or amended to accommodate the sporting world's presence.

"We were always accused for being shut out," he said. "The first tourist visa happened because of Formula E. It was the first time we issued tourist visas because of that event.

"From there, suddenly, we have gone from one of the most difficult visas to acquire to one of the easiest visas to acquire, with I think more than 50 countries' visas upon arrival and so on.

"Nobody understood what Saudi Arabia is. We’re telling to the world come and understand what Saudi Arabia is, but now we’re being accused for being too open. We are doing things very, very, very quickly and so on.

"At the end of the day, there is a drive because of this. The people want this. If the people don’t want this, it would not have happened. But the people want this, they see, they’re all engaged in social media, they see what other countries have."

Although Saudi Arabia is on a path to change, Abdulaziz is urging patience as the transformation won't happen overnight.

"We're a young nation. We're learning, we're moving forward, and we have a lot to develop on and a lot to prosper towards, and a lot to fix," he said.

"Change is being done. Today you can see women and men working cohesively everywhere in the kingdom, even in ministries, when they weren't even allowed to go public areas before.

"So all of these things are a part of the change. Some of them we can change them very quickly. Some of them take time. But we're here to listen, to talk, to discuss.

"I'm sure you've seen a lot of politicians have visited the kingdom in the past couple of weeks, and they've discussed all of these issues. So we are here to move forward and to make Saudi a better place, and to live for a better future."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter