King Abdullah Economic City: Where the Dakar 2027 Begins

Every Dakar has a starting line, and for 2027 that line is drawn in a place that did not exist a single generation ago. On the shore of the Red Sea, roughly 100 kilometres north of Jeddah, a planned city called King Abdullah Economic City will send the world's toughest rally into the desert. For the first time in the event's Saudi Arabian era, both the start and the finish belong to KAEC.

A city that rose from open coast

King Abdullah Economic City was announced in 2005 by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz as one of the Kingdom's new economic cities. It spreads across 185 million square metres of Red Sea coastline in the Rabigh governorate of Makkah province. The ambition behind it is enormous. The masterplan imagines a home for two million people, an industrial valley, a special economic zone, and at its centre King Abdullah Port, which the World Bank and S&P Global have ranked as the most efficient container port on the planet. Where there was once empty shoreline, there is now a working city that reads like a statement of intent for Vision 2030.

That backstory matters, because the Dakar has always been drawn to places that carry a sense of scale and reinvention. A rally that celebrates endurance now begins in a city that is itself still being built.

Why the Dakar chose KAEC for 2027

The Dakar has moved around Saudi Arabia since it arrived in 2020. Jeddah, Yanbu, Al Ula and Bisha have all taken a turn as host. For 2027 the organiser looked to the Red Sea and to a venue that had never opened the rally before. KAEC offers something the older host cities cannot match all at once. It has modern port logistics on the doorstep, wide open staging areas for hundreds of vehicles, and a coastline that lets the route push straight into fresh ground.

The choice also sets the tone for the whole edition. By starting on the Red Sea and running a giant loop back to the same city, the 2027 Dakar keeps its centre of gravity in the west and the south of the country, away from the routes that crews have learned by heart.

The route that waits beyond the start ramp

From KAEC the 2027 Dakar unfolds as a circular loop that returns to where it began. The numbers are the largest Saudi Arabia has ever produced for the event. The full route measures 8,390 kilometres, of which 5,320 kilometres are competitive special sections. That is the longest timed distance of any Saudi Dakar so far. Thirteen stages plus a prologue carry the field through Yanbu, Al Ula, Hail, Al Duwadimi and Bisha, where crews finally draw breath on the rest day of 9 January before the long run back north.

The organiser has promised three things for 2027. More variety in the terrain, more sand than the 2026 edition, and more unfamiliar ground, especially in the southern reaches of the country. For anyone who has raced here before, that is both a promise and a warning.

Getting to King Abdullah Economic City

For crews, families and fans flying in, the gateway is Jeddah. King Abdulaziz International Airport sits about 85 kilometres south of KAEC and is one of the busiest international hubs in the region, with direct connections to major European cities as well as the wider Middle East, Asia and Africa. From the airport the drive north takes around ninety minutes on the Al Madinah Expressway, and taxis and ride apps such as Uber and Careem all serve the route.

There is also a faster and more comfortable option that many first time visitors miss. The Haramain High Speed Railway stops at KAEC as one of its five stations, linking the city directly with Jeddah airport, Jeddah city, Makkah and Madinah. You can board the train at the airport station and step off at the KAEC station near the Hejaz Gate, close to King Abdullah Port. For anyone who wants to skip the highway, the train turns the journey into a short and scenic ride.

Where to stay and what to see

The natural base in KAEC is the Bay La Sun Hotel and Marina, a five star property on the Red Sea with a private marina, a natural lagoon and mangroves, and a Riviera feel that surprises visitors who expected only desert. Beyond the hotel, KAEC hides a handful of attractions that even seasoned travellers to Saudi Arabia rarely know about. The Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, designed by Greg Norman and host of the Saudi International, runs along the coast a short drive away. The marina district adds a yacht club, waterfront restaurants and boutiques, while Juman Park, a private beach called Yam Beach, a 4D cinema and a family club with a bowling alley and simulators round out a place that feels far more resort than industrial outpost.

For a rally crew this matters more than it sounds. Once the prologue is over and the real desert begins, KAEC is the last taste of comfort before two weeks of dust. It is worth arriving a day or two early to use it.

What the start means for a private crew

For a privateer, a start in KAEC is far more than a photograph on the ramp. It sets the rhythm of the entire campaign. Vehicles and equipment arrive through the Red Sea logistics chain, safety gear is distributed and checked inside the start camp, and the first nervous kilometres of the prologue decide the starting order for stage one. Everything that happens during those days at KAEC shapes the two weeks that follow.

For the Dakar Classic the clock starts even earlier. The bivouac at KAEC opens on 28 December 2026, the administrative checks and scrutineering fill the final days of the year, and the prologue fires on 1 January 2027. A car that looked ready in a European workshop still has to pass scrutineering in the KAEC start camp. A crew that studied the roadbook still has to trust it when the coast gives way to dune. The city that hosts the start does not care how good the plan looked at home.

We will be on the ground in KAEC

TimeOut Racing runs the Dakar Classic, and in January 2027 our support truck and our crew will be inside the KAEC bivouac from the moment it opens. We handle the logistics from the Red Sea onward, the paperwork that turns an entry into a start, and the mechanical work that keeps a period car alive across all 8,390 kilometres. The start ramp in KAEC is the visible beginning, but the real work starts months before, with a single conversation about your vehicle and your goals.

If you are planning a Dakar Classic 2027 entry, talk to a team that will be standing in King Abdullah Economic City from the very first day.

Plan your Dakar Classic 2027 with us. Get in touch · +41 79 578 24 55

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the Dakar 2027 start?

The Dakar 2027 starts at King Abdullah Economic City on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia, roughly 100 kilometres north of Jeddah. For the first time in the event's Saudi Arabian era, the city hosts both the start and the finish.

How do you get to King Abdullah Economic City?

The nearest airport is King Abdulaziz International in Jeddah, about 85 kilometres to the south. From there the drive north takes around ninety minutes on the Al Madinah Expressway. A faster option is the Haramain High Speed Railway, which stops at KAEC and links it directly with Jeddah airport, Makkah and Madinah.

How long is the Dakar 2027 route?

The full route measures 8,390 kilometres across thirteen stages plus a prologue, with 5,320 kilometres of competitive special sections. That is the longest timed distance of any Dakar held in Saudi Arabia so far.

Where do teams and visitors stay in KAEC?

The main base is the Bay La Sun Hotel and Marina, a five star property on the Red Sea with a private marina, a natural lagoon and mangroves. Nearby you also find the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, a marina district with restaurants, and a private beach.

When does the Dakar Classic 2027 begin at KAEC?

The bivouac at King Abdullah Economic City opens on 28 December 2026. Administrative checks and scrutineering run across the final days of the year, and the prologue starts the rally on 1 January 2027. The event finishes back in KAEC on 15 January 2027.