◆2 sources
The 2027 Dakar Rally will not be held in Saudi Arabia, organisers Amaury Sport Organisation and Saudi Motorsport Company announced. They cited recent developments in the region. The rally had been scheduled for 1 to 15 January 2027, and its new location has not yet been announced.
The organisers described the decision as exceptional and one-off, with the rally due to return to Saudi Arabia in 2028 for its 50th edition.
3 sources
Dakar Rally organizer A.S.O. informed participating teams that the 2027 event is planned to move from Saudi Arabia to Africa because of the war and unrest in Saudi Arabia, although no official announcement had yet been made. Participants cited in the reports welcomed the alternative after uncertainty over whether the rally could proceed. One report said the proposed rally would start in Europe on 9 January, cross to Morocco and finish in Africa on 22 January, with 12 stages and 4,300 competitive kilometres; the precise start location and whether the route would extend beyond Morocco remained unclear. Some competitors, including Ronald van Loon, had already chosen the separate Africa Eco Race instead.