SAUDI NEXT GEN : BECOME A DAKAR CHAMPION
The Saudi Next Gen Programme offers a unique 5-day immersion into the world of the Dakar Rally supported by Dakar experts, designed to find and develop the next generation of Saudi motorsport champions. Participants will experience the thrill of the Dakar through a combination of theory-based workshops and hands-on practical testing, including 3 real Dakar-type stages. Each year, 5 talented drivers will be selected to compete, and the best performer will win an entry to the Dakar Rally the following year. This is your chance to feel the Dakar and take your first steps towards becoming a rally legend.
2026 SAUDI NEXT GEN: THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN!
The year of Yazeed Al Rajhi’s crowning achievement as the first Saudi winner of the Dakar Rally also saw the launch of the Saudi Next Gen programme, designed to foster the emergence of the country’s best budding talents. Perhaps this was a sign! In any case, many candidates came forward to emulate Hamza Bakhashab and Abdullah Al Shegawi, the two drivers who won last January and are now about to jump in at the deep end.
It’s a whole different ball game. The launch of the Saudi Next Gen academy, widely publicised in the country at the start of the 2025 edition, has sparked many vocations. It is therefore possible to cultivate the goal of competing in the Dakar Rally, and perhaps even receive support to reach the top, if you are willing to commit to the training and selection process to earn your place. Inspired by the candidates of the first year, around fifty people tried their luck to join the five crews chosen to attend the courses of coach Edo Mossi, a former Dakar Rally driver, in 2026, and to fight it out in what promises to be a high-level competition, including sections of Dakar Rally special stages. The process of selecting the five crews invited to Yanbu has therefore entailed some difficult decisions, and there will be more to come.
The Saudi Next Gen trainees will have the opportunity to meet two pairs of valiant drivers at the bivouac who were selected first time around. Exceptionally, and given the difficulty of the selection process, two crews of Saudi Arabian newcomers are included on the list of competitors. But Hamza Bakhashab (21) and Abdullah Alshegawi (27), accompanied respectively by their navigators Fahad Alamr and Raed Alassaf, will not really have much time to play the part of big brothers. To validate their hard work, they now need to clash at the highest level, the XXL stages, and against champions in the discipline. Competing in the SSV category in Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbos and supported by the BE Racing team, they benefited from an intensive driving training programme in Morocco a few weeks ago to fine-tune their preparation. The moment of truth is drawing close.
