Dakar Rally Returns to Morocco in 2027 After 20 Years
ASO has officially announced the Dakar Rally's return to Morocco in 2027, after 20 years away, with 11 of the race's 12 stages held in the Kingdom.
The Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) has officially announced that the Dakar Rally will return to Morocco for its 49th edition in 2027, after around 20 years away from Moroccan territory. The move follows the withdrawal of the race from Saudi Arabia amid rising regional tensions in the Middle East. The competition will run from 9 to 23 January 2027.
Why the rally is leaving Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia had hosted seven consecutive editions of the Dakar since 2020, but organisers decided to move the 2027 edition elsewhere because of the security situation in the region, a step ASO described as "exceptional and limited to one edition," with the kingdom set to host the 50th edition again in 2028. Race director David Castera has promised an edition "with no compromises."
The route: from Portugal to Morocco over 11 stages
The new edition will start in the Loulé-Faro area of Portugal's Algarve, which will host the prologue and the first special stage, before the race crosses into Morocco for 11 of the rally's 12 stages, running from north to south, with a rest day in Agadir before the finish in Marrakech. The total route covers 7,824 kilometres, including 4,341 kilometres of special stages across six bivouacs.
A new chapter in a long history between the rally and Africa
Founded in 1978 by Frenchman Thierry Sabine under the name "Paris-Dakar," the race held its last African edition in 2007, before the 2008 edition was cancelled over security threats. It then moved to South America between 2009 and 2019, and to Saudi Arabia from 2020 onward. The 2027 edition also marks the launch of the new FIA and FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, for both cars and motorcycles.
What this means for Morocco
Hosting most of the rally's stages comes as the Kingdom prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal, giving it another opportunity to showcase its ability to organise major sporting events broadcast in more than 190 countries. The race's passage through the southern regions, from the desert to Agadir and Marrakech, is expected to have a direct impact on tourism and local economic activity during the event.