Dakar Rally 2027 to be held in Portugal, Morocco as Saudi hosting revoked

What the report says

The 2027 Dakar Rally will be staged in Portugal and Morocco after organisers moved it out of Saudi Arabia, according to Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), which described the change as an exceptional, one-off decision. Al Jazeera, citing Reuters and ASO, reported that the move followed a previous announcement that the event would not be held in Saudi Arabia because of security concerns.

Under the revised plan, the rally will begin with a prologue and first special stage in Portugal’s Algarve region before continuing in Morocco, where organisers said the route will run from the country’s north to its far south. Morocco is set to host 11 stages and a rest day in Agadir. The event is now expected to take place from January 9 to January 23, pending approval from the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council.

ASO said the relocated 49th edition will cover a total distance of 7,824km, including 4,341km of special stages. Dakar director David Castera said the organisers had created a route that still meets the event’s demanding sporting standards. The 2028 edition is planned to return to Saudi Arabia.

The move matters because it sends the Dakar Rally back to Africa for the first time since 2008. The race began in 1978 and has since moved between regions, including South America before shifting to Saudi Arabia in 2020.