The circuit was designed by Carsten Tilke, son of the renowned circuit designer Hermann Tilke. The Formula One layout measures 6.174 km (3.836 mi), making it the third longest circuit on the Formula One calendar behind Spa-Francorchamps and Las Vegas. Its flowing, high-speed character with minimal slow corners produces exceptional average speeds — the 2025 pole position set a record average of 254.6 km/h (158.2 mph). Three consecutive DRS zones along the main straights amplify overtaking opportunities and further raise average speeds.
For touring car racing, a shorter alternative layout of 3.450 km (2.144 mi) has been used, as seen during the 2022 World Touring Car Cup season finale. A separate Formula E layout, measuring 3.001 km (1.865 mi), was configured for the 2025 ePrix by inserting a hairpin linking turn 3 to turn 22 on the F1 map and adding chicanes on both the front and back straights.
The circuit was constructed to bring Formula One to Saudi Arabia, which had been pursuing a place on the world championship calendar as part of the country's broader Vision 2030 economic diversification program. The inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix took place on 5 December 2021, serving as the penultimate round of the 2021 Formula One World Championship — a season that went to the final race in deciding the title between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
From 2022 through 2024, the race was scheduled in March, positioned in the calendar just before the start of Ramadan. From 2025, the date shifted to April, placing it after Ramadan. The circuit has hosted dramatic and incident-filled races, in part due to its proximity to an active oil refinery that became conspicuous during the 2022 Grand Prix when fires were visible from the track during the race.
In November 2022, the circuit hosted the 2022 World Touring Car Cup season finale, using the shorter 3.450 km variant. Formula E arrived in 2025, replacing the previous Riyadh Street Circuit as the Kingdom's round of that championship.
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit has accommodated a wide range of series since opening. Formula One remains the headline event. Formula E joined in 2025 on its own dedicated shorter layout. Supporting events have included the FIA Formula 2 Championship, F1 Academy, the F4 Saudi Arabian Championship, GT4 European Series, GT World Challenge Europe's 6 Hours of Jeddah, and the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East. The World Touring Car Cup visited once in 2022.
Future confirmed events include the Ferrari Challenge Middle East from 2027, alongside the continued Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit established Saudi Arabia as a significant venue in international motorsport in a short time. Its combination of extreme speed, a challenging street-circuit character, and a newly built infrastructure made it one of the most discussed additions to the Formula One calendar in recent decades. The circuit's sheer pace sets it apart from all other temporary street venues in the world championship, and its rapid addition of Formula E added to its status as a multi-discipline motorsport hub in the Middle East.