Dakar 2027 revealed as longest Saudi-era rally yet

Organisers are promising more miles, more sand, new stages, and a tougher challenge for Dakar 2027.

18 May 2026

The route for the 2027 edition of the Dakar Rally has been revealed, and organisers are clearly doubling down on endurance. Covering 5,320km of timed special stages, next year’s event will be the longest Dakar held since the rally moved to Saudi Arabia in 2020.

Unveiled at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris by Dakar director David Castera, the 49th running of the rally will take place from January 1 to 15, 2027. It will once again begin and end at King Abdullah Economic City, but this year’s route looks set to push riders and crews harder than ever before.

The headline figure is mileage, as for 2027, there is a noticeable jump in the length of the event. The previous highest special-stage total came in 2025 with 4,903km, meaning next year’s route adds more than 400km of competitive distance.

And it won’t just be longer, as it sounds like it’ll be more unpredictable too. According to organisers, competitors will face “constant changes of scenery and technical demands”, with three entirely new stages focused around the Red Sea region. The route is said to pack more terrain variation into a tighter geographical loop, meaning riders could find themselves switching from high-speed sand to technical navigation sections within the same day.

Dakar 2027 revealed as longest Saudi-era rally yet

That variety has become a defining feature of the Saudi-era Dakar, though there’s one notable shift for 2027. Organisers say sand will play a bigger role than it did this year, while rocky terrain has been scaled back somewhat, news that may well be welcomed by riders tired of destroying wheels, tyres and hands on endless stone-filled pistes.

Away from the main rally, organisers also confirmed that entries for both the Dakar and Dakar Classic are now open. The historic category, now entering its seventh edition, will receive revised regulations intended to create fairer competition across the various classes of older machinery.

Speaking about the new route and event length, Luciano Benavides, winner of the Dakar 2026, said:

“It will be a longer Dakar and I really like that, because it means the best-trained riders, both physically and mentally, will be in better shape at the end, and I like that. As a rider, I prefer long days. I also like the format with two marathon stages, and having the second marathon at the end of the race will make it even more interesting. There will be less information, less strategy, which can make the race even more exciting. It will be a great edition, and with this longer route, with more sand, I’m motivated to return to Saudi Arabia and defend my title, knowing that this race isn’t decided until the very last kilometre.”