Dakar 2027 Leaves Saudi Arabia: Europe, Africa and New Dates

Updated: 19 October 2026

The Dakar 2027 will not take place in Saudi Arabia. Because of the security situation, ASO is moving the rally to Europe and Africa, for the Dakar Rally and the Dakar Classic. We received this information directly from ASO by phone on the morning of 19 October 2026. Since then, the key facts have also been reported publicly.

The short answer: On 19 October 2026, ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation), the organiser of the Dakar Rally, informed TimeOut Racing by phone that the Dakar 2027 will move from Saudi Arabia to Europe and Africa because of the security situation. The Dakar Rally and the Dakar Classic keep the full Dakar format with a prologue, 12 stages and more than 4,000 kilometres of special stages. The rally starts with a prologue in Europe on 9 January 2027, crosses to Africa by ferry and finishes on 22 January 2027. The exact countries, start and finish are still awaiting confirmation from the governments concerned. ASO has not yet published an official press release.

What Is Known About the Dakar 2027?

What ASO told us by phone, and what media reports have since published:

• Route: start in Europe, then transfer to Africa by ferry.

• Format: prologue plus 12 stages, with more than 4,000 kilometres of special stages.

• 9 January 2027: prologue in Europe.

• 10 January 2027: stage 1 in Africa.

• 22 January 2027: finish.

• 16 November 2026: registration deadline, with additional time for payments and administrative procedures.

That is a full Dakar with two weeks of racing. It starts about a week later than the original plan in Saudi Arabia, which ran from 1 to 15 January 2027.

What Is Still Open?

• Countries, start and finish: still awaiting official confirmation from the governments concerned.

• New route: ASO expects to announce it on Monday 26 or Tuesday 27 October 2026.

• Logistics and exact dates: a second ASO newsletter will follow with the details, including scrutineering and vehicle transport.

Until then, we will not speculate about countries. Last week we published a thought experiment on where the Dakar could go after Saudi Arabia, including the ferry routes from Europe to North Africa. That article was written for the years after 2029. It has now become relevant much sooner.

What Happens to Scrutineering in Barcelona?

The administrative and technical scrutineering in Santa Susanna and Barcelona will not take place in the form that was originally planned. How and where it will take place instead is for ASO to communicate in its next newsletter.

For our team, this means we will cancel our hotels and flights around the last weekend of November. This is our own decision for our team, not a recommendation.

We informed our customers about this in advance.

Thank You, ASO

I want to say this clearly and publicly: thank you to the team at ASO. What they do in the background is outstanding. World politics has put itself in the middle of our sport, and the ASO team has found a way to keep a full Dakar 2027 for every competitor.

That the organiser picked up the phone and called a small Dakar Classic team directly says a lot about the people behind this rally.

What Happens Next

As soon as ASO publishes the new route, we will update this article. If you have questions about your entry or your preparation, contact us. For the background of the last weeks, read our overview Saudi Arabia or Morocco: what we know and our team update on 26 September.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the Dakar 2027 take place in Saudi Arabia?

No. On 19 October 2026, ASO informed us by phone that the Dakar 2027 will move from Saudi Arabia to Europe and Africa because of the security situation. Media have since reported the same.

When is the Dakar 2027?

The prologue is on 9 January 2027 in Europe, stage 1 on 10 January 2027 in Africa, and the finish on 22 January 2027.

Does the new format also apply to the Dakar Classic?

Yes. According to ASO, the format applies to the Dakar Rally and the Dakar Classic.

Which countries will host the Dakar 2027?

Not yet confirmed. The exact countries, start and finish are awaiting confirmation from the governments concerned. ASO expects to announce the new route on 26 or 27 October 2026.

What is the registration deadline for the Dakar 2027?

16 November 2026, with additional time for payments and administrative procedures.

Will the Dakar 2027 scrutineering take place in Barcelona?

Not as originally planned. The administrative and technical scrutineering in Santa Susanna and Barcelona will not take place in that form. ASO will share the logistical details in a second newsletter.

About the Author

Sven Syfrig is the founder and Team Principal of TimeOut Racing, a rally raid assistance team based in Wollerau, Switzerland. Founded in 2014, the team has supported private crews at the Dakar and Dakar Classic every year since 2022.