Dakar Rally 2027 Shifted to Portugal and Morocco Following Saudi Hosting Cancellation

Dakar Rally Relocates to North Africa and Europe

Organisers Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) announced that the 2027 edition of the Dakar Rally will take place in Morocco and Portugal. The announcement follows a decision five days prior to cancel the event's scheduled hosting in Saudi Arabia, which organisers attributed to security concerns.

According to the ASO statement issued on October 30, 2026, the 49th edition will begin with a prologue and the first special stage in the Algarve region of Portugal. The rally will then move to Morocco for 11 stages covering the territory from north to south, including a rest day in Agadir.

Schedule, Route, and Verification

• New Dates: January 9 to January 23 (adjusted from the initial January 1–15 schedule).
• Total Distance: 7,824 km (4,862 miles), featuring 4,341 km (2,697 miles) of special stages.
• Route: Spanning from Loulé-Faro in Portugal to Marrakesh in Morocco.
• Regulatory Approval: The event remains subject to final approval by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) World Motor Sport Council.

Dakar director David Castera stated that despite the condensed timeframe, organisers have designed a route meeting the standards of the rally-raid event.

Historical Context and Future Plans

This relocation marks the first time the Dakar Rally has returned to Africa since 2008. The competition originated in 1978 as a race from Paris to Dakar, Senegal, before moving to South America from 2009 to 2019 due to security concerns, and subsequently to Saudi Arabia starting in 2020.

ASO described the 2027 relocation as an exceptional and one-off measure, stating that the 50th edition in 2028 is planned to return to Saudi Arabia. Stakeholders and participants are advised to monitor official FIA and ASO channels for schedule confirmations and regulatory updates.