Thumbnail artwork: original BeyondHorsepower conceptual illustration; it does not depict an announced route or a documentary event scene.
The 2027 Dakar Rally will go ahead, but it will not be held in Saudi Arabia. In an announcement dated 25 October 2026, Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) and Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) said the event, scheduled for 1–15 January 2027, will move to a different territory. A.S.O. will organise the rally, and the new location is to be announced separately. Saudi Arabia is set to host Dakar again in 2028 for the rally’s 50th running. The organisers’ announcement of 25 October and the FIA confirmation published the same day describe this as an exceptional, one-off change. The central point for competitors and fans is that Dakar 2027 has been relocated, not cancelled.
What the organisers have confirmed about Dakar 2027
A.S.O. and SMC made the decision jointly, in close coordination with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), and with support from the FIA and FIM. The statement says the decision follows “recent developments in the region”; it does not give more detail. We therefore cannot attribute the relocation to a specific incident or add a cause that the organisers have not stated.
The announcement preserves the 2027 event itself. A.S.O. says it will organise the edition in a different territory and is in direct contact with competitors, teams and partners to help them through the transition. The published schedule at the time of the announcement remained 1–15 January 2027. The release does not provide a revised route, host country, start or finish city, stage plan, or updated travel timetable. Those details should be treated as pending until A.S.O. publishes them.
Where will the 2027 Dakar Rally take place?
The destination has not yet been named. “A different territory” is the limit of what the primary announcement confirms. It does not identify a country or say which landscapes, borders, or service locations will be used. Reports and speculation about possible destinations are not a confirmed route and should not be presented as one.
This distinction matters because the host territory shapes the operational information that entrants and spectators need. Competitors require the official route and stage schedule to plan vehicle preparation, freight, service teams, border formalities and accommodation. Fans need confirmed locations before booking travel or buying tickets. With those details still outstanding, the practical next step is to wait for A.S.O.’s route announcement rather than make plans from an unconfirmed itinerary.
Saudi Arabia’s Dakar return is planned for 2028
The organisers say Saudi Arabia will host Dakar in 2028, when the rally reaches its 50th running. The 2027 move is explicitly described as a one-off, and A.S.O., SMC and SAMF reaffirmed their intent to continue working together in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia has hosted seven consecutive Dakar editions since 2020, according to the organisers.
The 2028 commitment is a forward plan, not a completed event. Its route and detailed programme have not been announced in the 25 October statement. The 2027 relocation also does not, by itself, tell us whether the 2028 route will revisit previous Saudi stages or introduce new ones. Those decisions belong to future announcements.
Why the 2027 change is significant
Dakar is a major cross-country rally, so changing territory close to an event year affects more than the name of a host country. Route length, terrain, road connections, service access, transport arrangements and the movement of vehicles and equipment all depend on the final plan. A changed host also requires teams and organisers to coordinate logistics around a new set of local requirements. These are practical consequences of a venue change; they are not details the 25 October announcement has resolved.
The decision also separates two storylines that can otherwise be conflated. Toyota’s hydrogen-powered Hilux project is a technical programme associated with the 2027 Dakar challenge; it is distinct from the organiser’s decision about where the rally will take place. Our report on Toyota’s 2027 Dakar hydrogen Hilux testing covers that vehicle project. The venue announcement does not confirm the route or tell readers which teams will enter.
What to watch for next
The next decisive update is A.S.O.’s announcement of the 2027 territory and route. Competitors, teams and fans will then be able to assess stage locations, travel plans and support arrangements from official information. Until that notice arrives, the accurate summary is straightforward: Dakar 2027 is scheduled for 1–15 January, will be organised by A.S.O. in a territory still to be named, and will not be held in Saudi Arabia. The organisers say Saudi Arabia is due to return as host for the 50th edition in 2028.
For now, readers should distinguish confirmed decisions from unresolved logistics. The 2027 relocation and the 2028 return commitment are confirmed by A.S.O. and the FIA; the country, route and city details for 2027 remain unannounced. That is the information teams and fans can rely on while the organisers complete the revised plan.
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