Big changes at the Dakar Rally. The organizers provided details

The prologue and the first special stage will take place in the Algarve region. Morocco, aiming to fully present its territory, from the north to the far south, will organize 11 special stages and a rest day in Agadir, the Dakar Rally organizers said in a statement.

The 49th edition of the Dakar Rally, originally scheduled for January 1-15, will now take place from January 9-23, subject to approval from the International Automobile Federation (FIA).

The 2027 Dakar Rally will have a total distance of 7,824 km, including 4,341 km of special stages, from Loule-Faro in Portugal to Marrakech in Morocco.

Organizers said Sunday that the decision to move the event outside Saudi Arabia was "exceptional and a one-off." The 50th edition of the Dakar Rally in 2028 will return to the Kingdom, which has hosted the event since 2020.

Drivers return to Africa after years

The Dakar Rally will return to Africa for the first time since 2008. The event began in 1978 as a race from Paris across the Sahara to the capital of Senegal. It has long been considered the toughest motorsport challenge in the world.

From 2009 to 2019, after leaving Africa for safety reasons, the Dakar Rally took place in South America.