Dakar Rally 2027 moves to Portugal and Morocco after Saudi Arabia exit
Synopsis
The Dakar Rally is leaving Saudi Arabia for the first time since 2020 — and heading back to Africa. Portugal and Morocco will co-host the 49th edition in January 2027, with a 7,824 km route stretching from the Algarve to Marrakech. It is the first time Portugal has ever featured as a Dakar host, and the first African edition in over a decade.
Key Takeaways
The 2027 Dakar Rally has been relocated from Saudi Arabia to Portugal and Morocco due to security concerns.
The 49th edition will run from 9 to 23 January 2027 , subject to WMSC approval.
The full route covers 7,824 km , including 4,341 km of special stages across six bivouacs .
The prologue and first special stage will be held in Loulé-Faro, Portugal ; Morocco hosts eleven stages ending in Marrakech .
The race will serve as the opening round of the FIA and FIM World Rally-Raid Championships .
This marks the first African edition of the Dakar in over a decade and the first-ever participation of Portugal as a host.
The 2027 Dakar Rally will be hosted across Portugal and Morocco after the event relocated from Saudi Arabia due to security concerns, organisers confirmed on Friday, 30 October 2026. The 49th edition of the world's most demanding rally-raid event will now run from 9 January to 23 January 2027, pending approval by the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC).
Route and Key Stages
The revised edition will open with a prologue and first special stage in the Algarve region of Portugal, starting in Loulé-Faro, before competitors cross the Mediterranean Sea overnight via ferry from Nador to reach the African continent. The race will then traverse eleven stages and a rest day across Morocco, concluding in Marrakech.
The full route stretches 7,824 km, of which 4,341 km are classified as special stages. The caravan will stop at six bivouacs along the way, with Morocco's Agadir hosting a 24-hour rest day midway through.
Morocco's Demanding Terrain
Upon arriving in Morocco on 11 January, competitors will transfer to the first Moroccan bivouac in Bouarfa, in the country's northeastern Oriental region. The race will descend along the Atlas Mountains via Zagora and then Agadir, before venturing deep into the deserts of Morocco's far south — approaching Smara and near Dakhla in the second week. The final leg will trace the Atlantic coastline northward to Marrakech.
What Race Director David Castera Said
Race Director David Castera defended the quality of the redesigned course despite the compressed timeline. 'The relocated 49th edition of the Dakar will meet the sporting standards that have always made it the most demanding rally-raid event. Despite the short timeframe we have had to work with, we have designed a true Dakar,' Castera said.
Championship Implications
The 2027 Dakar Rally will serve as the opening round of both the FIA and FIM World Rally-Raid Championships. The relocation marks a significant shift in the event's geography — the rally had been hosted in Saudi Arabia since 2020, when it moved from South America. This is the first time the race returns to the African continent in over a decade, and the first time Portugal features as a host nation. How organisers and competitors adapt to the new logistical and competitive landscape remains to be seen.
Point of View
Framed around security concerns, ends a seven-year arrangement that was itself controversial — the 2020 move to the Gulf was criticised by some in the rally community as financially driven rather than rooted in the event's adventurous DNA. A return to Africa reconnects the Dakar with its geographical heritage, but the compressed planning window is a real operational risk. Castera's insistence that organisers have 'designed a true Dakar' may reassure competitors, but logistics on a trans-continental route stitched together at short notice will face scrutiny the moment the first stage runs. The bigger question is whether this relocation is a one-edition fix or the beginning of a more permanent pivot away from the Gulf.
NationPress
30 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the Dakar Rally 2027 moved from Saudi Arabia?
The 2027 Dakar Rally relocated from Saudi Arabia to Portugal and Morocco due to security concerns, according to organisers. The move was announced on 30 October 2026 and is pending approval by the World Motor Sport Council.
When and where will the Dakar Rally 2027 take place?
The 49th edition of the Dakar Rally will run from 9 to 23 January 2027, starting with a prologue in Loulé-Faro, Portugal, and concluding in Marrakech, Morocco. The event is subject to final WMSC approval.
What is the route of the Dakar Rally 2027?
The route covers 7,824 km in total, with 4,341 km of special stages. It begins in the Algarve, Portugal, crosses the Mediterranean by overnight ferry, and then traverses Morocco through Bouarfa, Zagora, Agadir, Smara, and near Dakhla before finishing in Marrakech.
Is this the first time the Dakar Rally has been held in Portugal?
Yes, Portugal is making its debut as a Dakar Rally host nation in 2027. The Algarve region will stage the prologue and the first special stage of the 49th edition.
How long has the Dakar Rally been held in Saudi Arabia?
The Dakar Rally has been hosted in Saudi Arabia since 2020, when it relocated from South America. The 2027 edition marks the first time the event leaves Saudi Arabia, and the first African Dakar in over a decade.
