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KTM rally rider with number 73 on the crest of a sand dune

Dakar 2027 leaves Saudi Arabia: Morocco is tipped, but only the departure is official

Published by Thomas Menzel on 27. October 2026

Series: Dakar 2027

The 49th Dakar Rally will not be held in Saudi Arabia. Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) and the Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) announced this on Sunday, 25 October 2026, in a joint statement. The rally had originally been planned in the Kingdom from 1 to 15 January 2027. As of 27 October 2026, the organiser had not announced where it will go instead. Several media outlets consistently name Morocco, with a prologue in Spain or Portugal. A.S.O. has not confirmed the country, route or dates.

What is officially confirmed

The statement attributes the decision to leave Saudi Arabia to recent developments in the region. A.S.O. describes the decision as “exceptional and one-off” (translated from English). According to the organiser, it was taken in close coordination with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and with the support of the FIA and FIM.

The Dakar 2027 has not been cancelled. According to Rallye-Magazin and Speedweek, A.S.O. intends to organise the event itself in another country and to announce the new venue in the coming days. It says it is already in direct contact with participants, teams and partners. The return is firmly agreed: Saudi Arabia is due to host the 50th edition in 2028.

KTM rally rider with number 73 on the crest of a sand dune
KTM factory rider with number 73, according to the file name Edgar Canet at the Rallye du Maroc 2026 (stage 3). Not a photo of the Dakar 2027. Photo: Hero, Edo Bauer, Honda (collective credit, individual attribution not given), via nl.motocrossmag.be

Morocco, ferry, new dates: what is being reported

The Morocco option has been circulating since 20 October 2026. RMC Sport picked up a report from the Spanish newspaper Marca at the time: a prologue on 9 January in Spain or Portugal, followed by around twelve competition days in Morocco until 22 January. A French rider told RMC Sport that A.S.O. had informed the team managers by phone, but not him directly. The Belgian Motocross Mag wrote on 21 October, citing several sources, that A.S.O. had told teams and riders about a prologue in Spain or Portugal followed by a ferry crossing to Morocco. motor.nl reports the same and also cites unnamed sources.

Even after the official statement, Morocco remains media information. Rallye-Magazin cites the news agency Reuters, according to which the rally could start in Spain or Portugal and cross to Morocco by ferry. The Brazilian rally Sertões calls Morocco the probable destination and notes that the official announcement is still pending. It relies on European press reports and statements from participants.

All the reports mentioned give 9 to 22 January 2027 as the period, that is, Saturday to Friday. A.S.O. has not confirmed this.

Conflicting information on format and distance

The reports differ on the scope of the event:

  • Motocross Mag and motor.nl: prologue, twelve stages, one rest day and one marathon stage, around 4,900 kilometres in total. The reports do not make clear whether this refers to the total distance or only to the timed kilometres.
  • RMC Sport (citing Marca): 13 days and around 4,300 kilometres, without a marathon stage.
  • Sertões: prologue, twelve stages and around 4,000 kilometres of special stages.

On a marathon stage, riders spend the night without the support of their service teams. By comparison, according to Motocross Mag and motor.nl, A.S.O. presented a route for the Saudi Arabian edition in May with 5,320 timed kilometres, starting and finishing in King Abdullah Economic City.

Rally rider on a Hero motorcycle with number 11 kicking up a dust trail in front of a rocky mountain
Hero team rider with number 11 on a gravel track. Archive photo, location and date not given. Photo: Hero, Edo Bauer, Honda (collective credit, individual attribution not given), via nl.motocrossmag.be

Name, entry deadline and scrutineering

The rally is said to be allowed to keep the name “Dakar” despite the contracts with Saudi Arabia. RMC Sport reports consent from the Saudi authorities, even though the contract signed in 2019 contains a corresponding clause. According to Motocross Mag and motor.nl, whether vehicle scrutineering takes place as planned in Santa Susanna and Barcelona is being reviewed. The same changes are said to apply to the Dakar Classic. Both Dutch-language outlets give 16 November 2026 as the entry deadline. There is likewise still no official statement from the organiser on this.

Motocross Mag had expected the official route presentation on 26 or 27 October. At the time of going to press on 27 October 2026, no announcement of the new host country could be found on the Dakar news page.

Background: security situation and a return to Africa?

According to Speedweek, those responsible judged the situation too unsafe because of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. RMC Sport cites as the trigger an attack on a passenger terminal at Riyadh airport on 10 October 2026, attributed to Yemeni Houthi rebels. Sertões also points out that a large part of the planned route would have run close to the border with Yemen. The rally is not the only event affected. According to Rallye-Magazin, the world championship round planned for November in Saudi Arabia was cancelled in September, followed on 19 October by the cancellation of the Saudi round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship.

If the Morocco option goes ahead, the Dakar would run on African soil for the first time since 2007. The 2008 edition was cancelled for security reasons. From 2009 to 2019 the rally was held in South America, and since 2020 exclusively in Saudi Arabia.

For privateers, a decision on the host country would above all be a question of planning. Motocross Mag and motor.nl write that technical preparation, the search for sponsors and training had been particularly difficult without a confirmed country.

Sources and image credits

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