The Dakar Rally is leaving Saudi Arabia: where will the legendary marathon be held?

The organizers of the famous Dakar rally marathon have decided to move the 2027 competition out of Saudi Arabia.

As 1news.az reports, citing TASS, this was announced by the event's press service, with the reason being the risks associated with the general escalation of the situation in the Middle East. The new location of the race will be announced later, and it is planned that in 2028 the tournament will return to Saudi Arabia once again.

Initially, the next Dakar on Saudi tracks was scheduled for the period from January 1 to 15, 2027. The country had hosted the race without interruption since 2020. "Since 2020, Saudi Arabia has hosted the Dakar seven times in a row, inviting participants from all over the world to routes showcasing the kingdom's amazing geographical diversity. These competitions have made Saudi Arabia an integral part of the Dakar community and have established a strong, long-term strategic partnership. All the organizations involved confirm their commitment to continuing cooperation, developing motorsport in the kingdom, and providing outstanding experiences for participants, teams, and fans," the official statement of the press service noted.

Tensions in the region are directly linked to the conflict in neighboring Yemen, where the confrontation between the Houthis and government forces supported by Saudi Arabia has continued since August 2014. The situation escalated significantly in early August, when the Ansar Allah movement launched an offensive in the southwest of the country, and on September 10-11 seized the port city of Mokha and territories near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. In response, on October 4, Yemeni government forces launched a large-scale military operation to retake the lost regions.