Dakar Rally 2027 shifts from Saudi Arabia to Europe, Africa

The Dakar Rally 2027 will run in Portugal and Morocco, since the regional conflict forced ASO to move the event out of Saudi Arabia.

The 49th edition will start with a prologue in Portugal and end in Marrakesh on January 23, after nearly 8,000 kilometres.

Why the Dakar Rally 2027 left Saudi Arabia

War in West Asia stopped Saudi Arabia from hosting the race as planned. The Houthis, who align with Iran, recently hit several key sites across the kingdom, among them Riyadh’s international airport.

Those Houthi strikes left the rally’s future in serious doubt, and the Dakar Rally 2027 needed a new home. Race owner ASO had studied backup options for several weeks, and Morocco soon looked like the obvious choice.

For the first time since 2020, the race leaves Asia. It had moved to Saudi Arabia that year under a multi-year deal.

Organisers hope to bring the rally back to Saudi Arabia later. The latest edition in the kingdom ran in January.

Route of the Dakar Rally 2027

Originally, the rally would have begun on New Year’s Day. It now runs from January 7 to 23, across two continents.

Portugal’s Algarve Stadium hosts the prologue, and the first full stage also takes place in Portugal. After the opening days, the field takes a ship over the Mediterranean to Morocco.

Morocco then hosts the remaining nine stages of the Dakar Rally 2027. Riders and drivers head first to the south of the country, then turn north and follow the Atlantic coast to the capital region.

Organisers wanted a route of unprecedented scale. Dakar director David Castera said the team had little time, but it designed “a true Dakar” that meets the standards of the most demanding rally-raid event.

How the hosts will help

The Automóvel Club de Portugal supports the Portugal leg. The club has run its round of the FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship since 2024. Also, organisers call that round a cornerstone of the season.

In Morocco, the organisers use their expertise across the whole territory and the skills of their internal teams. Castera said competitors will discover the Kingdom from one end to the other.

Morocco already stages the Rally de Moroc, which counts toward the World Rally-Raid Championship. People often see it as a dress rehearsal for the Dakar itself.

ASO had also thought about pairing Morocco with a European country. Spain and Portugal looked like the likeliest starting points. However, in the end, Portugal won out.

A return to the roots

The move takes the marathon back to its early days. In the 1970s, the event began as the Paris-Dakar Rally, with France and Senegal hosting its start and finish.

Threats to security on the route later forced a change. After 2009, the race took place in South America, and after 2020, it ran in Saudi Arabia.

For now, the Dakar Rally 2027 gives teams a new map to learn, with a short timeline before the prologue in Portugal. The route now spans two continents.