Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) and Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) have announced that Dakar Saudi Arabia 2027, scheduled for January, will not be held in the Kingdom following recent developments in the region.

The decision brings an end to Saudi Arabia’s uninterrupted run as Dakar host since 2020, although organizers have emphasized that the move is a one-off change. And while A.S.O. and SMC did not elaborate on the developments behind the decision, the announcement comes amid broader regional security concerns that have affected several international sporting events in Saudi Arabia this year. 

Dakar’s Future Host Yet to Be Revealed

With Saudi Arabia stepping aside for one year, attention now turns to where the rally will be staged in January 2027.

A.S.O. has not yet revealed the replacement host territory but says an announcement will be made in the coming days. The organization added that it is already working directly with competitors, teams, manufacturers, and partners to support the transition.

The move marks the first break in Dakar’s Saudi Arabian run since the rally relocated to the Kingdom in 2020 after its final South American edition in 2019.

Saudi Arabia Secures Dakar 2028

While the 2027 event will be contested elsewhere, organizers made it clear that the long-term partnership between Dakar and Saudi Arabia remains intact.

The Kingdom has already been confirmed as host of Dakar 2028, which will mark the 50th running of the rally. A.S.O. and SMC say preparations for the milestone edition are already underway.

In their statement, the organizations said they are working together to make the anniversary event “an exceptional moment for the Dakar and for the Kingdom,” while maintaining the standards expected of one of the world’s premier motorsport competitions.

Seven Consecutive Editions in the Kingdom

Saudi Arabia first welcomed the Dakar Rally in 2020 and has since hosted seven consecutive editions of the event.

During that time, competitors have raced across some of the Kingdom’s most varied terrain, including vast dune fields, rocky desert tracks, mountains, and remote wilderness regions. The country’s diverse landscapes have become a defining part of the modern Dakar era.

According to the joint statement, those editions have helped establish Saudi Arabia as an integral part of the Dakar community while strengthening the strategic partnership between A.S.O., SMC, and SAMF.

Despite the temporary relocation of the 2027 rally, all three organizations reaffirmed their commitment to continuing their cooperation and further developing motorsport within Saudi Arabia.

For now, competitors and teams await details on Dakar 2027’s new destination. Looking further ahead, attention will increasingly shift toward Dakar 2028, when the rally is scheduled to return to Saudi Arabia for its historic 50th edition.