Dakar 2027 moves to Portugal, Spain and Morocco after Saudi exit

The 2027 Dakar Rally will leave Portugal on January 9 and finish in Marrakech, Morocco, on January 23, after organisers confirmed the race will not return to Saudi Arabia. The move follows attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels and ends several months of uncertainty about the event's location.

The route covers 7,824 kilometres in total, including 4,341 kilometres of timed special stages. There will be 12 stages and one rest day, giving teams and riders a clearer schedule after the disruption.

The prologue and first special stage will take place in Portugal's Algarve region, at the Algarve stadium near Loulé and Faro, which holds 30,000 spectators. The assistance park opens on January 5, and the rally leaves Portugal after the opening timed stage.

Competitors will cross southern Spain on a liaison section only, with no competitive stages on Spanish soil. They will then travel overnight by sea to the Moroccan port of Nador.

In Morocco, the race will head to Bouarfa in the northwest before moving south from January 12 along the Atlas Mountains via Zagora and Agadir, where a 24-hour rest stop is planned. The route will continue through the great Moroccan range toward the little-explored southern deserts, reaching Smara and the Dakhla area at the farthest point of the second week.

Organisers described the venue change as exceptional and said the Dakar will return to Saudi Arabia in 2028 for the 50th edition. Driver Josep Pedró Subirats said the uncertainty had been difficult and uncomfortable for organisers, teams and riders alike, and that the new clarity helps with sponsorship and preparation.