Dakar 2027: start in Portugal, finish in Marrakech

The 2027 Dakar will go ahead, but not in Saudi Arabia: organiser ASO has confirmed Portugal and Morocco as hosts of the 49th edition, from 9 to 23 January 2027. The rally-raid starts in Loulé-Faro in the Algarve and finishes in Marrakech, after a crossing of the Mediterranean.

A Dakar designed in a few weeks

The organisers had announced a few days earlier that the event would not take place in the Kingdom, citing instability in the region. The new route was drawn up at short notice, drawing on the team's experience and several reconnaissance missions. Rally director David Castera says he has designed a real Dakar despite the short deadline, according to RacingNews365 and Rallye Magazin. The Dakar Classic, the Dakar Future Mission 1000 and the Saudi Next Gen programme follow the same route.

The route, stage by stage

• Scrutineering: administrative and technical checks in Loulé-Faro, from 6 to 8 January.
• 9 January: prologue in Portugal, in the Algarve.
• 10 January: first special stage, still in Portugal.
• Crossing: transfer to an embarkation port, then an overnight ferry crossing to Nador, Morocco.
• 11 January: liaison stage to the first African bivouac, at Bouarfa.
• Morocco: route via Zagora to Agadir, where the rest day is scheduled.
• South: on towards Smara and the area around Dakhla, in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara.
• Return: back via Smara and along the Atlantic coast to the finish in Marrakech.

In all there are twelve stages, eleven of them in Africa, covering 7,824 km, 4,341 km of which are special stages, with six bivouacs. Most special stages run to between 350 and 500 km, a format close to that of recent editions.

About 350 entries and a return to Africa

According to ASO, about 350 competitors have already registered. The Dakar had not crossed Africa since 2007: the 2008 edition, due to start from Lisbon, was cancelled for security reasons, before the move to South America and then to Saudi Arabia in 2020. Portugal is no stranger to rally-raid: the Automóvel Club de Portugal backs the Portuguese leg, and its round has been a cornerstone of the championship since 2024.

This edition also opens the FIA and FIM World Rally-Raid Championship season. The dates are, however, subject to approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.

What next?

The return to Africa is presented as exceptional. The 50th edition, in 2028, is planned for Saudi Arabia, and preparations there continue. Between now and January, the bike, car, SSV and truck teams will have to adapt their logistics to an entirely new route, between the Algarve, the Moroccan Atlantic coast and the desert.