Saudi Arabia Gears Up for 48th Dakar Rally and W2RC Season Opener in Yanbu
The iconic Dakar Rally returns to the Kingdom with a new loop route from Yanbu, kicking off the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship in January
Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the forty-eighth edition of the legendary Dakar Rally, which will also serve as the opening round of the 2026 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), with competitors due to start on January 3 and finish on January 17. The rally, known as one of the toughest tests in motorsport, will begin and end in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, marking a prominent new start venue and underlining the Kingdom’s expanding role as a global centre for high-profile motorsport events.
The race will cover an approximate 8,000-kilometre loop across varied terrain including deserts, rocky plains and challenging off-road sectors, with competitors facing nearly 5,000 kilometres of timed special stages.
A mid-race rest day is scheduled in Riyadh, offering crews and riders a brief respite before the final leg back to Yanbu.
Organisers have crafted a route that blends traditional rally-raid challenges with fresh landscapes, foregoing the vast Empty Quarter for more diverse terrain across western and central Saudi Arabia.
This edition will maintain the rigorous demands for navigation, endurance and vehicle resilience that define the Dakar, featuring marathon stages where crews are restricted in outside assistance and must rely on their own resources.
The event’s position as the first round of the W2RC calendar once again underscores Saudi Arabia’s central role in global rally-raid competition while offering teams the opportunity to score early championship points.
The rally attracts a broad international field, with hundreds of competitors entering across car, bike, truck and prototype categories.
Teams and manufacturers such as KTM and Toyota Gazoo Racing are intensifying preparations for the demanding event, unveiling their 2026 machinery and crews ahead of the start in Yanbu.
Competitors will navigate a course designed to test machine and rider alike, looping through regions such as Al-Ula, Ha’il, Al-Qassim and Riyadh, before the dramatic finish back on the Red Sea coast.
As the curtain-raiser for the season’s championship, the Dakar not only showcases elite rally-raid talent but also highlights Saudi Arabia’s strategic investment in hosting world-class sporting events.
The race will cover an approximate 8,000-kilometre loop across varied terrain including deserts, rocky plains and challenging off-road sectors, with competitors facing nearly 5,000 kilometres of timed special stages.
A mid-race rest day is scheduled in Riyadh, offering crews and riders a brief respite before the final leg back to Yanbu.
Organisers have crafted a route that blends traditional rally-raid challenges with fresh landscapes, foregoing the vast Empty Quarter for more diverse terrain across western and central Saudi Arabia.
This edition will maintain the rigorous demands for navigation, endurance and vehicle resilience that define the Dakar, featuring marathon stages where crews are restricted in outside assistance and must rely on their own resources.
The event’s position as the first round of the W2RC calendar once again underscores Saudi Arabia’s central role in global rally-raid competition while offering teams the opportunity to score early championship points.
The rally attracts a broad international field, with hundreds of competitors entering across car, bike, truck and prototype categories.
Teams and manufacturers such as KTM and Toyota Gazoo Racing are intensifying preparations for the demanding event, unveiling their 2026 machinery and crews ahead of the start in Yanbu.
Competitors will navigate a course designed to test machine and rider alike, looping through regions such as Al-Ula, Ha’il, Al-Qassim and Riyadh, before the dramatic finish back on the Red Sea coast.
As the curtain-raiser for the season’s championship, the Dakar not only showcases elite rally-raid talent but also highlights Saudi Arabia’s strategic investment in hosting world-class sporting events.