2026 Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia | Automotive Experience
Rally-Raid
2026 Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia
Yanbu, Al Madinah Province, Saudi Arabia2026-01-03 to 2026-01-17
About This Event
Run since 1979 as the world's toughest rally-raid — a 14-day off-road endurance test across desert, dunes, and rocky corridors, totalling nearly 8,000km with over 4,800km of competitive stages. Bikes, cars, trucks, SSVs and challengers race through terrain far harsher than conventional rallying, with marathon stages requiring self-sufficiency between bivouacs. The first round of the FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship.
What to Expect
48th edition of the Dakar Rally, seventh time Saudi Arabia hosts the event
Over 800 competitors from 69 nationalities racing across 431 vehicles in multiple categories
97 historic vehicles in Dakar Classic regularity format for cars and trucks from 1980s-2005
Yanbu stages set between Red Sea and inland hills with gravel plains and rocky corridors
AlUla marathon stage features sandy tracks through rock formations with minimal support
Two-day marathon format returns requiring self-sufficiency at overnight bivouac without crew assistance
Best Way to Experience It
Bivouac access packages sold for start, rest day, and final days including VIP Club entry
Tour operators transport spectators to stage viewing points and arrange bivouac admission subject to accreditation
Good to Know
Route starts and finishes in Yanbu passing through Ha'il, Al-Qassim, and Riyadh for rest day
Rally heads west to new regions Al-Bahah, Aseer, and Jizan, skipping Empty Quarter
January temperatures around 20-25 degrees Celsius during the rally
Rally route and spectator points announced late the previous day
Is This Event Right For You?
Best fit if you value motorsport heritage — 48th edition of rally-raid's most legendary event, Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast through deep desert hosts 7,994km route since 2020 relocation from South America.
Best fit if you enjoy multi-stage competitions — 14-day marathon across gravel plains, rocky corridors, sandy terrain with 4,840km competitive distance, opening round of FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship determines manufacturer standings.
Best fit if you like passionate fan atmosphere — bivouac (temporary race village) access via tour operators, mechanic areas visible between stages, 800+ competitors representing 69 nationalities create international rally-raid community gathering.
Not ideal if you prefer spectator-focused events — vast desert stages spread across Saudi Arabia make live viewing difficult, tour operators organize access rather than general admission, follow via timing screens at bivouac.
