An agreement for the organization of a round of the MotoGP World Championship in Qatar by the end of the 2004 season has been signed today at the Mugello Circuit, Italy, between Naser Bin Khalifa Al-Ateiah, President of the Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation, and Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna.

The initial agreement gives Dorna the option to include the Qatar Grand Prix in the pre-calendar for 2004, subject to a final homologation by the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) of the racetrack that will be built close to Doha in the next few months.

In the case that all the contractual requirements are fulfilled by the promotors in Qatar, this would be the first time ever that a MotoGP event would take place in the Middle East. The first edition will be scheduled for Autumn 2004, with the agreement signed for five years.

Said Mr. Al-Ateiah, "We are really happy to have signed this contract. It is the first time in the Middle East that we will welcome this famous sport, and we hope that it will add to the spectacle. A lot of people over there love motorcycles and use them on the roads so it will be great for them to have a circuit to enjoy. It is a great moment for us and we look forward to seeing everybody in 2004."