Paris, October 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Portugal and Morocco will host the 2027 Dakar Rally after the event was relocated from Saudi Arabia due to security concerns, organisers announced on Friday.
The 49th edition of the rally, initially scheduled to run from January 1 to January 15, will now take place from January 9 to January 23, subject to approval by the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC).
The event will open the 2027 FIA and FIM World Rally-Raid Championships. The opening round will feature a prologue followed by 12 stages, running from January 9 to 23 between Loule-Faro in Portugal and Marrakech in Morocco.
Portugal’s Algarve region will host the prologue and the first special stage, while Morocco will stage the remaining 11 stages and a rest day in Agadir.
The competition will cover a total distance of 7,824 km, including 4,341 km of special stages, with the rally caravan stopping at six different bivouacs along the route.
“The relocated 49th edition of the Dakar will meet the sporting standards that have always made it the most demanding rally-raid event. Despite the short timeframe we have had to work with, we have designed a true Dakar,” said Race Director David Castera.
The rally will begin in Portugal on January 9 with the prologue, followed by the first special stage the next day. Competitors will then transfer to the ferry terminal for the crossing to Nador in Morocco, with the Mediterranean journey scheduled to take place overnight.
After arriving on the African continent on January 11, participants will travel to the first Moroccan bivouac in Bouarfa.
Starting in Morocco’s northeastern Oriental region, the route will initially head south along the Atlas Mountains, passing through Zagora before reaching Agadir, where the rally caravan will take a 24-hour break.
The competitors will then venture deep into the deserts of Morocco’s far south. Smara and the area near Dakhla will feature prominently during the second week of the rally.
From there, the caravan will begin its journey north, returning through Smara before following the Atlantic coast towards Marrakech, the final destination of the 2027 Dakar Rally.
FOLLOW NOW
