Is Dakar 2027 cancelled? Not as it stands, but Saudi situation is worsening

Dakar 2027 has not been cancelled, despite a worsening security situation in Saudi Arabia and growing uncertainty over international motorsport events in the country.

The event's organiser, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), confirmed that rumours of a cancellation were unfounded and that preparations for Dakar 2027 were continuing as planned.

Since then, though, the situation has developed significantly.

The Iran-aligned Houthi movement has claimed missile and drone attacks on Saudi-owned Aramco oil and gas facilities, as well as targets in Riyadh. The UK Foreign Office has also updated its travel advice for parts of Saudi Arabia. On top of that, the FIA has cancelled the World Rally Championship round scheduled to take place in Jeddah in November.

The WRC cancellation is not an isolated case. Formula 1's Saudi Arabian and Bahrain Grands Prix were both called off earlier this year because of the regional conflict, while MotoGP's Qatar Grand Prix was postponed from April to November. 

The FIA World Endurance Championship has also cancelled its Qatar round. MotoGP is still planning to race at Lusail in November, while Formula 1's Qatar event remains under review, showing that decisions are being made on an event-by-event basis rather than there being a blanket shutdown of motorsport in the region for a fixed period of time.

That has inevitably raised questions about whether the Dakar, which is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in January 2027, could be affected.

At the time of the ASO's confirmation, the organiser said: “The rumours regarding a possible cancellation are unfounded.”

It added that the organisation of Dakar 2027 was progressing as planned, that it remained in contact with its Saudi partners and that it was closely monitoring the situation.

The 2027 Dakar route is due to start and finish at the King Abdullah Economic City on the Red Sea coast, with competitors travelling through areas including Al-Ula, Ha'il, Al-Duwadimi, Bisha, Wadi Ad-Dawasir and Al Bahah.

The rally does not enter Riyadh and does not run directly along the Yemeni border, where some of the recent Houthi attacks have been concentrated. However, several southern stages are in the same general region of Saudi Arabia as the affected areas. That proximity would make the event an easy enough target for the Houthis.

The security situation has been developing since February, when the wider conflict involving Iran escalated, and attacks were carried out against targets in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. More recently, Houthi attacks have extended to shipping in the Red Sea and targets in south-western Saudi Arabia.

For the teams and competitors taking part, there are also more potential logistical complications. Vehicles and equipment are shipped from Europe towards Saudi Arabia through the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea, while insurers have increased premiums for ships travelling in areas regarded as high risk. 

For now, however, there has been no announcement from the ASO about cancelling or postponing Dakar 2027.

Registration and preparations remain on their existing timetable, with Dakar Classic's second assistance-rate deadline falling on 30 September and general registration closing on October 20.

The cancellation of the WRC's Jeddah round does not automatically mean the Dakar will follow, as the two events have different organisers, routes and operational requirements.

The situation is clearly fluid, but Dakar 2027 is, at the time of writing, still officially scheduled to go ahead.

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