The 2027 Dakar Rally will take place on the African continent, but will start in Portugal, with the first stage kicking off in the Algarve, SIC Notícias reports.

In light of the recent events in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, specifically the intensification of attacks by Houthi fighters from Yemen, supported by Iran, against Riyadh, the event will be transferred to Europe and Africa in 2027, before returning to Saudi soil in 2028 for its 50th edition, the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) announced.

ASO, the company responsible for organising, among other events, the Dakar Rally and the Tour de France cycling race, confirmed earlier this month that the 2027 edition would move to another location, with several countries being considered, including Spain, but the organisers have now confirmed that Portugal will host the start of the 49th edition of the rally.

Dakar Rally dates and route confirmed

According to officials, technical checks at the Algarve Stadium are scheduled from 6 to 8 January 2027, with the rally itself taking place from 9 to 23 January, between Loulé-Faro and Marrakech. The announced dates are subject to approval by the World Motor Sport Council of the International Automobile Federation (FIA).

The Algarve Stadium will host the start of the rally and be the central hub for the technical and administrative checks over the three days preceding the event. The prologue will take place on 9 January and the first stage the following day, before crossing by sea to Nador, Morocco.

Morocco will host the remaining 11 stages and the rest day in Agadir, with a route covering 7,824 kilometres, of which 4,341 kilometres will be timed.

“Despite the short time we had, we conceived a true Dakar,” stated the race director, David Castera, highlighting the support of the Automobile Club of Portugal (ACP).

The organisation has already registered 350 participants. The event will open the FIA and FIM World Rally Raid Championships and will be accompanied by the Dakar Classic and the Mission 1000 programme.

Returning to Portugal after two decades

This return to Portugal comes two decades after the last edition was held in Portuguese territory.

The Portugal News recently reported that Lisbon hosted the start of the 2006 and 2007 editions, but the planned third consecutive start from Lisbon was cancelled on 4 January 2008, on the eve of the competition, due to security threats in Mauritania.

Following the cancellation, the race moved to South America in 2009, with routes passing through Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay over 11 editions, before settling in Saudi Arabia in 2020.

The Dakar Rally was created by Frenchman Thierry Sabine and was first held in 1979, linking Paris to the Senegalese capital, with different routes in later editions, including Paris–Cape Town in 1992, Granada–Dakar in 1995, and Dakar–Cairo in 2000.

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