Last updated on 19. October 2026
The 35th Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is scheduled to run from Sunday 22 November to Friday 27 November 2026. It has been announced as the final round of the 2026 FIA/FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. For the first time in the event’s history, the start and finish will be in Al Ain. The organiser announced this on 28 September 2026 in a press release.
Prologue for the bikes on 22 November
According to the organiser, the event begins for the motorcycle riders on 22 November with a prologue, a short timed stage that the FIM field contests before the ceremonial start. The release does not include a detailed stage schedule, distances or an entry list.
From Al Ain to Al Dhafra
The route is set to link Al Ain in the east of the emirate with the Al Dhafra region in the west. The rally will set up its main bivouac, the central paddock with the teams’ service area, in Madinat Zayed. According to the organiser, the town will serve as the operational base for the event and its international paddock for the entire week.
Al Ain is not entirely new to the Desert Challenge: the rally visited the city for the first time in 2025. The 2026 edition builds on this and now moves the start and finish to the city. The close link with Al Dhafra is to be maintained.
Organiser and patronage
The rally is organised by the Emirates Motorsports Organization (EMSO) in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. It is held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra region.
Nasser Mohammed Al Mansoori, Undersecretary of the Ruler’s Representative Court in Al Dhafra, is quoted in the release as saying (translated): “The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge has been closely connected with Al Dhafra for decades; the region is an integral part of the event’s identity and history.” He said the expansion to Al Ain reflected the ongoing development of the rally.
What remains open
The press release gives the dates, the start and finish location and the site of the bivouac. Details of stage lengths, special stages, liaison sections and the field in the motorcycle classes have not yet been released.
Sources and image credits
- Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge / Emirates Motorsports Organization (EMSO): “35th Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge to provide the final test of the 2026 Rally Raid World Championship”, 28 September 2026, abudhabidesertchallenge.com
- Photo 1 (archive photo): motorcycle rider in the dunes, according to the file name Daniel Sanders; photographer not named (file name refers to EdoPhoto); date taken not stated; original source: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge press release, published there on 28 September 2026. Organiser press photo.
- Photo 2 (archive photo): motorcycles in the Al Ain oasis; photographer not named (file name refers to MCH Photo); date taken not stated; original source: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge press release, published there on 28 September 2026. Organiser press photo.