Dakar Relocates to Portugal and Morocco for 2027

The Dakar Rally will leave Saudi Arabia for its 49th edition, running between Portugal and Morocco from January 9 to 23, 2027, before heading back to Saudi Arabia in 2028 for its 50th anniversary. Organizers described the move as exceptional, citing the recent situation in Saudi Arabia, and said the Dakar Classic, the Dakar Future Mission 1000, and the Dakar Saudi Next Gen program will all follow the relocation.

The event opens the 2027 season of the FIA and FIM World Rally-Raid Championships and consists of a prologue followed by twelve stages. The Algarve stages the prologue and the opening special out of Loulé-Faro, using the 30,000-seat Algarve Stadium that staged the finish of the W2RC's second round last April under the Automóvel Club de Portugal. Morocco then carries eleven stages, with a rest day at Agadir.

The route covers 7,824 km in total, including 4,341 km of special stage across six bivouacs, a figure close to recent editions. Most daily specials range between 350 and 500 kilometers. The service park opens January 5 at Loulé-Faro, where administrative and technical scrutineering runs from January 6 to 8. After the prologue on January 9 and the first special stage the next day, competitors transfer to an overnight Mediterranean crossing to Nador, reaching Morocco on January 11 and transferring to the first bivouac at Bouarfa.

From the Oriental region in Morocco's northeast, the race heads south along the Atlas Mountains via Zagora and Agadir, then pushes into the far-southern deserts, with Smara and nearly Dakhla marking the second week's furthest points. The caravan returns north via Smara and the Atlantic coast before finishing in Marrakech.

Race Director David Castera called the edition "uncompromising" and said the organization has designed "a true Dakar" despite the short timeframe. "Competitors will discover the Kingdom from one end to the other," he said, pointing to Morocco's infrastructure and the ACP's support in Portugal.

Castera said 350 competitors have already registered. The event will once more reach broadcast audiences in more than 190 countries. "The adventure continues," he said, "as do preparations for the historic celebration of the 50th edition in Saudi Arabia."