The next edition of the Dakar Rally, the most gruelling off-road endurance race in the world, will not take place in Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are seen as the reason for the event being pulled out of the Kingdom for the first time since 2020.
The Saudi Motorsport Company and the Amaury Sport Organisation that has hosted the annual rally, said the decision was "exceptional and one-off".
The organisers said Dakar 2027 will take place, though the venue has yet to be decided. "๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ถ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ 2028, ๐ฎ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ 50๐๐ต ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐," said the organisers in a statement.
๐ฃ OFFICIAL STATEMENT ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ถ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ: ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ฌ๐๐ต ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ธ๐ฆAmaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) and Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) have jointly decided that Dakar Saudi Arabia 2027, scheduled from 1 to 15 January 2027, will not be held in the Kingdom, following recent developments in the region.This decision is exceptional and one-off and was taken in close coordination with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), and with the support of the FIA and the FIM.๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ด๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐.๐ฆ.๐ข. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐. ๐.๐ฆ.๐ข. ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐, ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ถ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ด, ๐ฎ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฌ๐๐ต ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐.Both organisations are already working together to make this milestone an exceptional moment for the Dakar and for the Kingdom, with a shared commitment to once again deliver an iconic and world-class event to the highest of standards.Since 2020, Saudi Arabia has hosted seven consecutive editions of Dakar, welcoming competitors from around the world on routes that showcased the Kingdomโs remarkable geographical diversity. These editions have made Saudi Arabia an integral part of the Dakar community and established a strong, long-term strategic partnership between A.S.O., SMC and SAMF. All three organisations reaffirm their commitment to continuing their cooperation, developing motorsport in the Kingdom and delivering outstanding experiences for competitors, teams and fans.๐ #Dakar2027
Unlike most rallies that are held on paved or gravel roads, the Dakar is distinctive for its venue, which comprises trackless sand dunes, rocky fields and desert mountain passes. The Dakar rally distance varies each year but is usually in the range of 7,500 km to 9,000 km, which is completed in stages spanning about two weeks.
In addition to cars, which are the main attraction, the Dakar Rally features separate events in motorbikes, quads and even trucks.
Over the years, Indians have made a mark in Dakar, with Keralam-based Harith Noah clocking the best finish of 11th in 2024. C S Santosh and K P Aravind are other rally riders from India who have competed in the Dakar.
The militant Houthi forces have carried out a series of assaults on Saudi Arabia this year, including a missile attack on the King Khalid International Airport this month, leaving 13 dead.