Dakar Rally 2027: Organizers Exit Saudi Arabia After Riyadh Strikes

The Amaury Sport Organisation and the Saudi Motorsport Company announced on Sunday that the 2027 Dakar Rally will not be held in Saudi Arabia. The two groups cited recent regional developments as the reason for the change. The new venue will be identified in the coming days. Organizers confirmed that the race is scheduled for next January.

The decision follows a series of strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this month. Those attacks killed 18 people and injured hundreds of others. The violence made it impossible for organizers to finalize a new route in the northern part of the kingdom, a plan they had previously pursued to keep the event in the country. Specialist race media report that Morocco and Spain are being considered as replacements. A move to Morocco would return the rally to Africa for the first time since 2007.

Saudi Arabia has hosted the Dakar Rally since 2020. The event originally ran from Paris to Senegal before moving to South America in 2008 due to security concerns in North Africa. Organizers state that their goal is to hold the 2028 edition in Saudi Arabia to mark the race's 50th running. The current conflict has already forced other major sporting events to leave the kingdom this year.

The Formula One grand prix in Jeddah was cancelled, and the Bahrain race was rescheduled in Malaysia. The final World Rally Championship round in Saudi Arabia was also scrapped. An exhibition tennis event featuring Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alexander Zverev has been postponed until late December. The WTA Finals, originally planned for Riyadh, will now take place at Indian Wells in California.

Other events remain on the calendar, though they face internal debate. The final two Formula One races are set for Qatar on November 29 and Abu Dhabi on December 6. The Qatar MotoGP race is also scheduled for next month. These events proceed despite the ongoing tension in the region.

The conflict has intensified in Yemen in recent weeks, with Houthi fighters seizing strategic territory along the Red Sea coast. The Houthis have increased attacks on the kingdom, which leads a coalition supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The strikes have disrupted airlines, businesses, and daily life in the world's largest crude oil exporter, affecting the country's international image and logistical capabilities.