Madar (International) - Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.), which runs the Dakar Rally, announced on Friday, October 30, 2026, that the rally's 49th edition will be held exceptionally in Portugal and Morocco, after it decided with the Saudi Motorsport Company not to stage it in Saudi Arabia "following recent events in the region", according to two statements from the organisers.
The service park will open on January 5 in Loule-Faro, Portugal, with scrutineering from January 6 to 8, the prologue on January 9 and the first special the next day, followed by an overnight Mediterranean crossing to Nador.
After arriving on January 11, competitors will head to Bouarfa, then Zagora and Agadir for a 24-hour rest. The second week takes them to Smara and almost to Dakhla, before a return via Smara along the Atlantic to the finish in Marrakech, according to the route presented by the organisers.
The route includes 4,341 km of special stages, most between 350 and 500 km, and 350 competitors have already entered. The dates remain subject to approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
The organisers confirmed that Saudi Arabia, host of seven consecutive editions since 2020, will stage the 50th edition in 2028. The rally crossed Mauritania for years before the 2008 edition was cancelled over security threats and the event moved to South America in 2009.
