Bahrain says Abu Dhabi race will not cut F1 boon

Dubai: A Formula One race in Abu Dhabi from 2009 won't undercut the $548 million Bahrain generates from hosting a Grand Prix, the head of Bahrain's Economic Development Board said.

"We view this as a complement and not competition," chief executive officer Shaikh Mohammed Bin Eisa Al Kalifa said. "It brings the eyes of the world to the region two times a year and therefore generates interest and exposure."

Abu Dhabi was added to Formula One's 2009 calendar last year and, according to a recent report, Qatar wants to host a Grand Prix once it upgrades its Losail circuit.

The economic benefit of the Bahrain race last year surged 46 per cent from 2006, Dubai-based Godo Research and Marketing said in a report last month.