Mugello, Italy: (Saturday 7 June 2003) Qatar will stage a round of the World Motorcycling Championship next season, organizers announced here yesterday .

A deal has been signed that will see a round of the MotoGP World Championship going to the Middle East for the first time.

The new round will be held on a track currently being built on the outskirts of Doha, the capital of the Gulf State of Qatar.

The contract which was signed on Saturday, June 7 by Nasser Khalifa Al-Atiyah, President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, and Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna, will see the track included on the GP calendar for the next five years.

"We do not yet know the name of the track or how the riders will be affected by the heat, which can reach 34ºC."

"We are really happy to have signed this contact, " said Al-Attiyah, "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."