In light of recent events in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the race will exceptionally relocate to Europe and Africa in 2027, before returning to Saudi soil in 2028 to celebrate its 50th edition. The Dakar Classic, the Dakar Future Mission 1000 and the Dakar Saudi Next Gen programme will follow this move.

The 49th edition will kick off the 2027 season of the FIA and FIM World Rally-Raid Championships. This opening round will consist of a prologue followed by twelve stages, from 9 to 23 January*, between Loulé-Faro in Portugal and Marrakech in Morocco. The Algarve will host the prologue and the first special stage. Morocco, with the aim of exploring its territory in its entirety, from north to far south, will host eleven stages and a rest day in Agadir.

The race will stop at six different bivouacs along the 7,824 km route, including 4,341 km of special stage. All the ingredients of the race will be there. Race Director David Castera announces an "uncompromising" Dakar.

Faced with a difficult situation that has led to its exceptional relocation for the 2027 edition, the Dakar is benefiting from a form of solidarity inherited from its history, particularly from Portugal and Morocco, which have agreed to open their territories to the event once again. The long-standing ties forged with these countries have been maintained by the wider rally-raid community, which has continued to gather there, notably for the W2RC rounds held in recent years.

Portuguese expertise, for example, has been brought back into the spotlight over the past three seasons by the ACP (Automóvel Club de Portugal), which organised the second round of the World Rally-Raid Championship last April, finishing in Loulé-Faro, at the 30,000-seat Algarve Stadium. This arena will provide the setting for the launch of the 49th edition, which will naturally head towards Morocco, a historic ally of the event. The Kingdom of Morocco has always stood out for the quality of its deserts, which make this vast territory, still full of surprises, a sporting destination par excellence for rally-raid. Experienced in hosting international events, Morocco will be able to support the Dakar in meeting a new organisational challenge within the limited time available.

Following the opening of the service park on 5 January in Loulé-Faro, administrative and technical scrutineering will take place there from 6 to 8 January. The sporting action will begin in Portugal on 9 January with the prologue, before the first special stage the following day. The stage will continue with a transfer to the port of embarkation for Nador, Morocco. The Mediterranean crossing will take place overnight.

Upon their arrival on the African continent on 11 January, competitors will make their way by transfer to the first Moroccan bivouac in Bouarfa. From the Oriental region, in north-eastern Morocco, the race will initially head south along the Atlas Mountains, the true backbone of the Kingdom, via Zagora, then Agadir, where the caravan will take a 24-hour break.

It will then be time to turn away from the Atlas and venture deep into the vast, little-explored deserts of the country's far south. Smara, then almost to Dakhla, will mark the furthest points on the map of the second week. From there, the caravan will begin its journey back north, once again via Smara, before following the Atlantic Ocean and reaching Marrakech, its final destination.

The route, designed over recent weeks based on the knowledge accumulated by the organising teams and a series of reconnaissance missions, meets the usual standards of the season's biggest rally-raid event, with 4,341 km of special stages, a figure close to the format of recent editions. On a daily basis, most special stages will range between 350 and 500 kilometres. A substantial average, especially in light of the specific nature of the terrain to be covered. Experts know: Morocco's deserts are among the most demanding in the world, for drivers and co-drivers as well as for their machines.

The stages in details

David Castera, Dakar Director: "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. The ACP (Automóvel Club de Portugal) is supporting us in Portugal, having established its round of the FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship as a cornerstone of the season since 2024. And in Morocco, our expertise across the entire territory, combined with the operational capabilities of our internal teams, allows us to go far beyond the formats previously offered in the country: competitors will discover the Kingdom from one end to the other. We will explore all its distinctive features through a route of unprecedented scale. Here too, the country's expertise in hosting major international events, as well as the quality of its infrastructure, will be invaluable in enabling us to offer everyone a truly first-class Dakar. We are already grateful for the loyalty of the competitors who are overwhelmingly choosing to follow us on this new adventure (350 already registered to date). They will also be able to count on the support of the media and our partners, who are reaffirming their commitment alongside us in these exceptional circumstances. As usual, the Dakar will be broadcast in more than 190 countries around the world.