The 2027 Dakar Rally will not take place in Saudi Arabia, organisers announced, citing “recent developments in the region” and saying the January event will be held in a different territory. A replacement location is expected to be announced in the coming days, with the rally’s return to Saudi Arabia planned for 2028. Al Jazeera reported the organisers’ decision.
The Amaury Sport Organisation and Saudi Motorsport Company did not identify the new host in the statement reported by Al Jazeera. Specialist race media have discussed Morocco and Spain as possibilities, but those options were not confirmed by the organisers.
The move changes the security setting for one of the world’s major off-road races after Saudi Arabia hosted it from 2020 onward. Al Jazeera reported that organisers had considered keeping the 2027 event in Saudi Arabia by routing it through the country’s north, but abandoned that plan amid the latest attacks and broader regional instability.
The security backdrop includes a barrage of missiles and drones launched from Yemen toward Saudi Arabia. Al Jazeera reported that Saudi-led coalition forces intercepted projectiles aimed at areas including Riyadh, Mecca province and the southern region. The report said Saudi authorities examined fragments from two ballistic missiles and that flights from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport had previously been suspended after attacks.
The sources establish the organisers’ relocation decision and the recent attacks reported by Saudi authorities, but they do not establish the final host country, a detailed route or the specific security assessment behind the organisers’ decision. The Dakar Rally is scheduled to return to Saudi Arabia in 2028, according to the organisers’ statement as reported by Al Jazeera.