Dakar Rally 2027 Leaves Saudi Arabia Over Security Concerns
Organisers confirm the 2027 Dakar Rally will relocate from Saudi Arabia due to regional security concerns, with a new host location to be announced soon.
POLICY WIRE — Paris, France — The 2027 edition of the Dakar Rally will not take place in Saudi Arabia due to security concerns, race organisers Amaury Sport Organisation announced on Sunday.
Officials confirmed that the driving competition will be relocated following recent developments in the region, including repeated attacks on the kingdom by Yemen’s Houthis.
Having taken place in Saudi Arabia since 2020, the upcoming January event will instead move to a different territory, with the exact new location set to be revealed by the ASO in the coming days.
Insiders note that the upcoming 49th edition will return the race to Africa due to the unstable situation across the Middle East, altering its traditional recent routing.
Despite the relocation of the 2027 event, organisers emphasized that the shift is strictly temporary, with the famous rally scheduled to head back to Saudi Arabia in 2028 to mark the event’s 50th anniversary.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
