The Dakar Rally 2027, which was to be held in Saudi Arabia, will be moved to a new location, organizers Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) have confirmed.
In a joint statement issued on Sunday, ASO and SMC explained that the current geopolitical situation in the Middle East makes it impossible to hold the event in the country, where the rally has taken place every year since 2020.
Dates and new location
Despite the change of venue, the 49th edition of Dakar will maintain the scheduled dates, from January 1 to 15, with a new location to be announced in the coming days. It is likely that the rally will move to Morocco, thus returning to its African roots. Additionally, it is known that the organizers are considering holding the Prologue in both Portugal and Spain before crossing the Alboran Sea.
Official statements
The statement highlights that “ASO and SMC have made the decision that the Dakar 2027 will not take place in the Kingdom, following recent events in the region”. This decision is exceptional and was made in coordination with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), with the support of the FIA and FIM. The 2027 rally will go ahead.
The organizers have reiterated that the move is a unique solution and that the 2028 edition will take place in Saudi Arabia, coinciding with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the event.
Geopolitical context
Since the onset of the war conflict in the region in late February, several sporting events in the Middle East have been postponed or canceled. Only Formula 1 and MotoGP remain on the calendar, with the Qatar track hosting both competitions and Abu Dhabi serving as the venue for the F1 season finale.
The situation in Saudi Arabia has become more delicate after Iranian-backed Houthis attacked several key areas, including the Riyadh airport this month.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
