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Luciano Benavides celebrates with his KTM team at the finish of the 2026 Dakar

Dakar 2027 set to move to Morocco: what is known and what remains open

Published by Thomas Menzel on 23. October 2026

Series: Dakar 2027

According to consistent media reports, the 2027 Dakar will not be run in Saudi Arabia but mainly in Morocco. The organiser, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), is said to have informed teams and riders on Monday 19 October 2026. There has been no public confirmation from ASO so far. On 22 October 2026, the official website dakar.com still presented the route in Saudi Arabia on its home page. According to Moto Verte and MotocrossMag, the new route is due to be presented on 26 or 27 October.

What the reports agree on

The news agency Reuters cites three people from the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), namely two riders and a team manager. According to them, the 49th edition begins in Europe with a prologue in Spain or Portugal. It then moves to Morocco, where around 12 stages are said to be planned. Reuters gives the period as 9 to 22 January 2027. ASO, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) did not respond immediately to enquiries, according to the Reuters report (published by Sowetan).

The 2027 Dakar was originally scheduled for 1 to 15 January 2027. In May, ASO presented a route starting and finishing in King Abdullah Economic City, with 5,320 kilometres of special stages. It would have been the eighth edition in Saudi Arabia, where the rally has been held since 2020.

Several media outlets describe further key details. According to Moto Verte, the plan comprises a prologue, 12 stages including one marathon stage, and a rest day on Saturday 16 January 2027. On a marathon stage, competitors spend the night without the help of their service crews. Scrutineering is said to take place in Europe from 6 to 8 January, followed by a ferry crossing of the Mediterranean. The sporting centre is said to be Merzouga, in the desert of south-eastern Morocco. According to Moto Verte and MotocrossMag, the Moroccan section of the route is already considered fixed, while the location of the prologue is not.

Motorcycle rider on a sand dune in evening light during the 2026 Dakar in Saudi Arabia
Archive photo: Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda HRC) on stage 8 of the 2026 Dakar on 12 January 2026 near Wadi Ad-Dawasir, Saudi Arabia. Photo: © A.S.O./F. Gooden/DPPI, Source: dakar.com

Where the details differ

The reports contradict each other on several details. These points can only be resolved with the official presentation.

  • Start date: Reuters, Moto Verte, MotocrossMag and Get Dirt give Saturday 9 January 2027. Franceinfo writes of 8 to 22 January.
  • Stages: Most sources speak of 12 stages after the prologue. Franceinfo and journalist Gaël Robic give 11 stages in Morocco.
  • Distance: Moto Verte and MotocrossMag give a total distance of around 4,900 kilometres. 7news Morocco, citing the Spanish sports daily AS, reports around 4,300 kilometres of special stages. Get Dirt writes of 4,500 kilometres of special stages, Franceinfo of a route of around 4,000 kilometres. It is unclear whether these figures refer to the same measure.
  • Name: Moto Verte, MotocrossMag and Franceinfo report that the name “Dakar” will be kept despite the contracts with Saudi Arabia. Get Dirt, by contrast, considered a renaming likely.

Reasons for the change of course

Reuters names the increasing attacks by the Houthi militia from Yemen on Saudi cities, airports and energy facilities as the trigger. According to Reuters, at least 12 people were killed and more than 300 injured in an attack on Riyadh’s international airport on 10 October 2026. According to Reuters, ASO had previously been working on an alternative route in northern Saudi Arabia. According to Moto Verte and Afrik.com, a shortened eight-stage variant in Morocco was also considered.

Moto Verte reports that Toyota and KTM voiced concerns about travelling to a conflict zone. The decisive factor, however, was said to be insurance, as insurers withdraw when official travel warnings are in place. Get Dirt additionally names Honda among the manufacturers said to have protested. There are no statements from the manufacturers themselves on this.

Open questions until the presentation

According to Moto Verte, entries are due to close on Monday 16 November 2026. There is no confirmation from ASO for this either. Moto Verte points to a possible problem with the terrain: Marc Coma, director of the Rallye du Maroc, is said to have pointed out that southern Morocco would quickly be exhausted for so many stages and that the route would have to lead further into the Sahara. How things continue after 2027 is also open. According to Moto Verte, ASO is bound to Saudi Arabia by a ten-year contract running to 2029.

The last Dakar held in Africa took place in 2007, starting in Lisbon and finishing in Dakar. The 2008 edition was cancelled because of terror threats. From 2009 to 2019 the rally ran in South America, and since 2020 in Saudi Arabia.

Luciano Benavides celebrates with his KTM team at the finish of the 2026 Dakar
Archive photo: Luciano Benavides (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) celebrates his win in the motorcycle category of the 2026 Dakar on 17 January 2026 in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Photo: © A.S.O./J. Delfosse/DPPI, Source: dakar.com

Africa Eco Race 2027: route via Guerguerat set

The Africa Eco Race will also run through Morocco in January 2027, but on the classic route to Senegal. According to the official website, the organisers had already published the map of the 18th edition on 11 September 2026. According to Hespress on 21 October 2026, the race starts in Tangier on Sunday 24 January 2027. Via Meknès, Erfoud, M’Hamid and Assa, it reaches Laâyoune on 28 January and Dakhla the following day. After the rest day on 30 January, the participants cross the border into Mauritania at Guerguerat. The finish at Lac Rose near Dakar is planned for Saturday 6 February 2027. The stage distances are due to follow after a reconnaissance in November.

The route through Western Sahara is politically disputed. On 13 January 2020, demonstrators supporting the Polisario Front stopped the convoy at Guerguerat for a few minutes, Hespress reports. Before the 2022 edition, the Polisario warned the organisers. According to Hespress, the crossing into Mauritania passed at that time without any reported security incident. In January 2026, the prologue and the first special stage had to be cancelled because of heavy rain, storms and snowfall. For 2027, the organisers want to strengthen logistics and security along the route, according to Hespress.

If the Dakar ends on 22 January as reported, the Africa Eco Race starts two days later. Afrik.com points this out.

Sources and image credits

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