Dakar Rally 2027 to be held in Portugal and Morocco after Saudi exit
Organisers ASO say the 49th edition will run from January 9 to 23, 2027, with a prologue in Portugal's Algarve and 11 stages in Morocco, returning the race to Africa.
At a glance
- The 2027 Dakar Rally will be held in Portugal and Morocco after organisers moved it out of Saudi Arabia over security concerns.
- The 49th edition will run from January 9 to 23, subject to approval by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council.
- The route covers 7,824km from Loule-Faro to Marrakesh, with 11 stages and a rest day in Agadir, Morocco.
The 2027 Dakar Rally will be staged in Portugal and Morocco, organisers the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) said, five days after they announced the event would not be held in Saudi Arabia because of security concerns.
The Algarve in Portugal will host the prologue and the first special stage, while Morocco will host 11 stages and a rest day in Agadir, ASO said in a statement. The route runs from Loule-Faro to Marrakesh and covers a total distance of 7,824km (4,862 miles), including 4,341km (2,697 miles) of special stages.
The 49th edition was initially scheduled to run from January 1 to January 15, but will now take place from January 9 to January 23, subject to approval by the International Automobile Federation (FIA)'s World Motor Sport Council.
"The relocated 49th edition of the Dakar will meet the sporting standards that have always made it the most demanding rally-raid event," Dakar director David Castera said. "Despite the short timeframe we have had to work with, we have designed a true Dakar."
Return to Africa
Holding the race in Morocco means the Dakar returns to Africa for the first time since 2008.
ASO described the decision to move the event out of Saudi Arabia as "exceptional and one-off". The 50th edition in 2028 will return to the kingdom, which has hosted the rally since 2020.
The event began in 1978 as a race from Paris across the Sahara to Dakar, the capital of Senegal in West Africa, and has long been regarded as the world's toughest motorsport challenge. It was later staged in South America between 2009 and 2019 after leaving Africa for security reasons.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- Where will the 2027 Dakar Rally be held?
- In Portugal and Morocco. Portugal's Algarve hosts the prologue and first special stage, while Morocco hosts 11 stages and a rest day in Agadir on a route from Loule-Faro to Marrakesh.
- Why was the Dakar Rally moved out of Saudi Arabia?
- Organisers ASO announced the move five days before confirming the new route, citing security concerns. ASO described the decision as exceptional and one-off.
- When will the Dakar Rally return to Saudi Arabia?
- The 50th edition in 2028 will return to Saudi Arabia, which has hosted the rally since 2020, according to organisers ASO.
