Attacks on Saudi Arabia: The Dakar Rally is also canceled

Due to the attacks on Saudi Arabia, the 2027 Dakar Rally will not take place in the desert state. The organizers cited the “recent developments in the region” as the reason. The decision is “extraordinary and unique”. The dangerous off-road adventure will take place in “a different area” in the new year. The venue will be announced separately in the coming days.

The Dakar Rally has been held in Saudi Arabia since 2020. Next year it should have taken place from January 1st to 15th. She is scheduled to return to Saudi Arabia in 2028, as the organizers announced.

Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi militia from Yemen are currently attacking each other. There has actually been a ceasefire in the war since 2022. But in July the conflict escalated again in the wake of the Iran War. Since then, Saudi Arabia has come under massive fire from Yemen, with airports and oil facilities being hit, among other things. At the beginning of the year, Formula 1 also canceled the Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia for safety reasons.