The WEC has signed a six-year contract with the Losail International Circuit to host a round of the championship, guaranteeing its place on the schedule until 2029 at least.
Losail will also be the venue for the official pre-season WEC test known as the prologue ahead of the race.
No date has been given for what will be a six-hour event, which still needs to be ratified by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
The Qatar fixture, announced in the country’s capital Doha on Monday evening, will take over from the Sebring 1000 Miles as the WEC curtain-raiser after the end of the WEC’s five-year contract to race at the Florida circuit next year.
Sebring rejoined the WEC in 2019 as part of double-header weekend with the 12-hour round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship, but the 1000 Miles fixture was cancelled in both 2020 and ’21 as a result of COVID before returning this year.
Qatar will become the second Middle East country visited by the WEC after Bahrain, which has a contract running through to 2027.
Richard Mille, president of the FIA Endurance Commission, said: “Lusail International Circuit is a modern venue that is well accustomed to the demands of world-level motorsport events.
“Therefore, having it join the FIA WEC is a positive and logical development.
“Enhancing regional diversity is something very important to the FIA: promoting motorsport and promoting the FIA WEC in new markets is something that will be beneficial for the fans, the manufacturers…
