PARIS : The 2027 Dakar Rally will take place in Morocco after opening with a prologue and first stage in Portugal, organisers Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) announced on Friday, following the decision to move the event from Saudi Arabia over security concerns.
The 49th edition of the rally will run from January 9-23, instead of the originally scheduled January 1-15, subject to approval from the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council.
Portugal’s Algarve region will host the prologue and opening special stage, while Morocco will stage the remaining 11 stages, with a rest day scheduled in Agadir.
The rally will cover 7,824 kilometres, including 4,341 kilometres of competitive special stages, on a route stretching from Loule-Faro to Marrakech.
“Despite the short timeframe we have had to work with, we have designed a true Dakar,” rally director David Castera said.
Organisers described the relocation as an exceptional, one-off decision and confirmed that the event would return to Saudi Arabia in 2028 for its 50th edition.
The move marks Dakar’s return to Africa for the first time since 2008.
First held in 1978, the rally originally ran from Paris across the Sahara to Senegal’s capital, Dakar.
After leaving Africa because of security concerns, the event was staged in South America from 2009 to 2019 before moving to Saudi Arabia in 2020.
