News Summary
- The 2027 Dakar Rally will not take place in Saudi Arabia, organisers confirmed on Sunday (October 25), citing recent developments in the region.
- The event has not been cancelled. Amaury Sport Organisation will organise the 2027 edition in another territory, with the new location to be announced in the coming days.
- Saudi Arabia will return as Dakar host in 2028 for the rally’s 50th edition, ending a one-year interruption in a partnership that began in 2020.
The 2027 Dakar Rally will not take place in Saudi Arabia, Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) and Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) officially announced on Sunday (October 25). The organisers have decided to relocate the world’s most famous rally-raid competition following recent developments in the region, bringing an exceptional interruption to Saudi Arabia’s tenure as Dakar host.
The decision does not mean the event has been cancelled. Dakar 2027 will go ahead in a different territory, although its location has yet to be formally announced. The original Saudi Arabian event was scheduled for January 1–15, 2027, but the organisers have not confirmed whether those dates will remain unchanged following the relocation. Saudi Arabia is expected to resume hosting duties in 2028, when Dakar celebrates its landmark 50th edition.
Dakar confirms Saudi Arabia withdrawal for 2027
The decision was announced jointly by A.S.O., the company responsible for organising Dakar, and Saudi Motorsport Company, which has worked with the French organisation throughout the rally’s Saudi Arabian era.
According to the official statement, the change was agreed in coordination with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and with the support of both international governing bodies, the FIA and FIM.
The organisers described the relocation as an exceptional, one-off decision rather than a permanent departure from Saudi Arabia, emphasising that the partnership between the organisations remains intact.
“Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) and Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) have jointly decided that Dakar Saudi Arabia 2027, scheduled from 1 to 15 January 2027, will not be held in the Kingdom, following recent developments in the region,” the statement said.
“This decision is exceptional and one-off and was taken in close coordination with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), and with the support of the FIA and the FIM.”
The announcement follows growing uncertainty surrounding the event because of the security situation in the Middle East. Although preparations for the Saudi Arabian route had been progressing, concerns emerged about whether the rally could be staged safely under the circumstances.
The official statement does not identify a specific incident as the direct cause of the relocation. However, the change comes amid wider regional tensions that have prompted organisers of international sporting events to review their arrangements and contingency plans.
The final decision means Dakar will leave Saudi Arabian territory for the first time since the country became the event’s exclusive host in 2020.
Will the 2027 Dakar Rally still take place?
Yes. Organisers have explicitly confirmed that the 2027 Dakar Rally will take place, despite the cancellation of the originally planned Saudi Arabian edition.
A.S.O. will remain responsible for organising the competition and is preparing to announce a replacement location in the coming days. The company has also begun working directly with competitors, teams and commercial partners to address the logistical consequences of the change.
“Dakar 2027 will go ahead,” the organisers confirmed.
“The 2027 edition will take place in a different territory and will be organised by A.S.O. The location will be announced separately in the coming days.”
The statement also confirmed that A.S.O. is already communicating with those affected by the relocation.
“A.S.O. is in direct contact with competitors, teams and partners to support them through this transition,” the organisation added.
For teams, the announcement represents a major operational change with little more than two months remaining before the original start date. Dakar requires extensive advance planning, particularly because many competitors must transport vehicles, spare parts, service equipment and support personnel across international borders.
Factory teams and private competitors will now need to adapt their preparations once the new route, schedule and logistical arrangements are confirmed.
The consequences could extend to accommodation, transport, customs documentation, vehicle shipping and the organisation of service areas, particularly if the event moves between continents.
However, A.S.O. has not announced changes to the sporting regulations, competition categories or number of stages. Any adjustments to the format remain subject to official confirmation.
Could Dakar return to Africa in 2027?
The possibility of Dakar returning to Africa has emerged as one of the most significant developments surrounding the relocation. Morocco has been mentioned as a potential replacement host, with reports suggesting a route involving both Europe and North Africa.
Previous reports indicated that organisers were considering an itinerary beginning with a prologue in either Spain or Portugal before transferring to Morocco for the main competition. The alternative would bring the rally much closer to its historical origins while allowing organisers to preserve a demanding desert route.
However, A.S.O. has not officially confirmed Morocco, Spain, Portugal or any revised dates. Sunday’s announcement establishes only that the race will take place outside Saudi Arabia, with further details to follow.
An African return would represent a significant moment for the competition, which was originally established as the Paris–Dakar Rally in 1978, with the first edition taking place across 1978 and 1979. The event became famous for its demanding routes across North and West Africa, with competitors navigating vast desert landscapes before reaching Senegal.
The last Dakar held on its traditional African routes took place in 2007. The 2008 edition was cancelled because of security concerns, after which the rally relocated to South America in 2009.
Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay hosted stages during Dakar’s South American era, which continued through 2019. Saudi Arabia then became the event’s exclusive host in 2020.
A move to Morocco would therefore bring Dakar back to the African continent for the first time in nearly two decades, although the organisers have yet to confirm whether that scenario will materialise.
Saudi Arabia will return for Dakar’s 50th edition in 2028
Despite losing the 2027 event, Saudi Arabia has already been confirmed as the host of Dakar 2028, which will mark the 50th running of the competition.
A.S.O. and SMC emphasised that the relocation does not represent the end of their partnership, which has expanded significantly since the rally moved to the Kingdom in 2020.
“Saudi Arabia will host Dakar 2028, a landmark edition celebrating the 50th running of the rally,” the joint statement confirmed.
Both organisations are already working together to prepare the anniversary event, which they intend to develop into a major celebration of Dakar’s history and its relationship with Saudi Arabia.
The country has hosted seven consecutive editions between 2020 and 2026, offering routes through deserts, dunes, mountain regions and the areas surrounding the Red Sea.
Those editions attracted competitors from around the world and helped establish Saudi Arabia as a central location for international rally-raid competition.
The organisers highlighted the geographical diversity offered by the Kingdom, as well as the long-term cooperation developed between A.S.O., Saudi Motorsport Company and the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation.
“These editions have made Saudi Arabia an integral part of the Dakar community and established a strong, long-term strategic partnership between A.S.O., SMC and SAMF,” the statement continued.
The three organisations also reaffirmed their commitment to developing motorsport in Saudi Arabia and delivering future events to competitors, teams and spectators.
Dakar Rally host regions since 2009
| Period | Host region | Editions |
|---|---|---|
| 2009–2019 | South America | 11 |
| 2020–2026 | Saudi Arabia | 7 |
| 2027 | To be announced | 1 |
| 2028 | Saudi Arabia | 1 |
The 2027 host has not yet been officially announced. The 2028 edition will mark Dakar’s 50th running.
What does the Dakar relocation mean for teams and competitors?
The venue change will affect preparations across the Dakar field, particularly manufacturers competing in the car and motorcycle categories and private teams that depend on carefully planned transportation arrangements.
The original Saudi Arabian route was presented in May 2026, with the event scheduled to begin at King Abdullah Economic City on January 1 and finish at the same location on January 15. It would have included 13 stages and approximately 8,390km of total running.
Those plans can no longer proceed as originally announced, meaning teams must await confirmation of a replacement itinerary before finalising their logistical and competitive preparations.
The change could be particularly significant for manufacturers such as Toyota, Ford, Dacia, KTM and Honda, whose programmes involve considerable investment in testing, spare parts, technical support and specialised equipment.
The announcement also arrives amid uncertainty surrounding Fernando Alonso’s potential return to Dakar in 2027.
The two-time Formula 1 world champion has been linked with a Prodrive-operated Aston Martin rally-raid project. Although Alonso publicly questioned whether he could combine the event with his Formula 1 commitments, he subsequently tested a Dakar prototype in Morocco alongside former co-driver Marc Coma.
The test reinforced speculation about a possible return to the competition, which Alonso previously contested in 2020 with Toyota, finishing 13th overall.
However, neither Alonso nor Aston Martin has formally confirmed his participation. The relocation introduces another factor into the planning of any potential programme, although the impact will depend on the eventual venue and dates.
As GRANDE PRÊMIO previously reported, Alonso has been linked with a Prodrive-backed Aston Martin entry for 2027, but the project remains subject to official confirmation.
Why has Dakar left Saudi Arabia for 2027?
The official statement attributes the decision to recent developments in the region, without identifying a single incident as the direct cause of the relocation.
The move follows a period of increasing concern about regional security and its implications for international motorsport events, particularly regarding the safety of competitors, team personnel and organisers.
The situation has prompted questions about international sporting events in the Middle East, where organisers must assess the potential impact of changing security conditions on travel, logistics and competition.
In Dakar’s case, the original 2027 route had already been announced, and teams were preparing for a competition covering thousands of kilometres across Saudi Arabian territory.
However, Sunday’s announcement confirms that the event will not take place anywhere in the Kingdom in 2027.
The decision is a relocation rather than a cancellation of the rally itself, a distinction organisers have been careful to emphasise.
Further details of the replacement venue, competition route and revised logistical arrangements are expected in the coming days.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following developments surrounding the 2027 Dakar Rally, including the announcement of its new host territory, calendar and route, with breaking news and full coverage in its Rally section.
