Partners
The city of Lisbon is extremely proud to be hosting the start of the world's greatest automotive rally.
For the first time, the Dakar will be leaving from a European country other than France or Spain.
Selected from among several candidate cities to organize the Big Start of the 28th edition of the Dakar, Lisbon has a new opportunity to establish the role of Portugal in the organization of major international events.
The choice of Lisbon for the Dakar's Big Start enhances its status as a leading European city, mainly as a result of accompanying media coverage.
Since the very outset of the project, Lisbon's city council has spared no efforts to ensure that such coverage is a success at international level and seize this unique opportunity to promote the city, its culture and heritage.
All of Lisbon's inhabitants will be contributing to make this event of international scope a big local celebration. As a result, I am convinced that the 2006 Euromilhões Dakar will be organized in as exemplary a fashion as the 2004 Euro.
Thus, I can confirm Lisbon's wish to continue to organize major international events in the future, and, for this reason, I should like the 2006 edition of the Dakar to be the opening chapter in a long story between the most prestigious of rallies and the city of Lisbon.
The Mayor