2027 route : the art of illusion

May 5 ^th 2026 - 14:00 [GMT + 3]

• The route of Dakar 2027, which will take place from January 1 to 15 next year, was unveiled at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris by David Castera, in the presence of many riders, drivers and navigators ready to take on the challenge. For its 49^th edition, the 8^th in Saudi Arabia, the world’s most prestigious rally-raid offers a varied route that includes three entirely new stages, focused on the Red Sea, with both start and finish in King Abdullah Economic City… and the highest special-stage mileage of the Saudi era (5,320 km), which began in 2020.
• Entries for the Dakar open today, at the same time as those for Dakar Classic. For its 7^th edition, the regulations have been adjusted to ensure greater fairness within the historic vehicle categories.
• Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, President of the Saudi Motorsport Federation, launched a selection process for the third Saudi Next Gen academy, whose mission is to bring through young talent for the Dakar.
• The format of the Dakar Future Mission 1000 challenge, which will welcome new innovative projects in 2027, will be modified to lead these pioneers towards greater performance, both technologically and competitively.

The exploration continues. Several tens of thousands of kilometres have been covered in Saudi Arabia since 2020. A mere trifle compared with what remains to be discovered in the largest country of the Middle East, whose territories hold endless surprises. Laid out on a map, the route of the 49^th edition stretches across what at first glance seems a “modest” perimeter. On closer inspection, Dakar 2027 simply offers the highest special-stage mileage of the Saudi era. And by some distance, as competitors will be timed over 5,320 km, whereas the symbolic 5,000 km mark had never even been approached until now (4,903 km in 2025). The optical illusion does not stop there, as the level of terrain variety also exceeds previous benchmarks.

In this gigantic loop starting and finishing in King Abdullah Economic City, riders and crews will be struck by the diversity of landscapes to be explored each day, but also by the constant changes of scenery and technical demands that will often occur within the stages themselves. Rally-raid requires a permanent ability to adapt. It also remains the ultimate endurance challenge: one night in a refuge bivouac and a more traditional marathon stage will remind everyone that physical and mechanical management are the key ingredients for success. On the technical side, the proportion of sand in all its forms, noticeably higher than last January, will reassure those most anxious about their relationship with rocks, which will be less numerous this time.

Luciano Benavides, winner of the Dakar 2026 in the motorcycle category:
« It will be a longer Dakar and I really like that, because it means the best-trained riders, both physically and mentally, will be in better shape at the end, and I like that. As a rider, I prefer long days. I also like the format with two marathon stages, and having the second marathon at the end of the race will make it even more interesting. There will be less information, less strategy, which can make the race even more exciting. It will be a great edition, and with this longer route, with more sand, I’m motivated to return to Saudi Arabia and defend my title, knowing that this race isn’t decided until the very last kilometer. »

Mitchel van den Brink:
« When I look at these stages, I really like the scenery, to be honest. Being in a truck offers great visibility, and I really enjoy this type of terrain. We feel like there’s unfinished business. In the last three editions, we’ve finished on the podium. We were very close in the last edition until stage 10, then we made a mistake due to a technical issue. So of course, we’ll be back in the truck category to achieve our goal, which is to win. »

Xavier de Soultrait:
« I raced in the motorcycle category for ten years, but I didn’t manage to win. However, we did succeed in taking victory with Polaris two years ago in the SSV category. This type of vehicle is actually quite close to production models, which allows us to be competitive and fast, and to see over long distances just how well it holds up across the stages. We are ready. We will fight again with my teammate, against the competition, but also against ourselves. »

Guillaume De Mévius:
« It’s the first time I’ve attended the route presentation in person, it’s really motivating and gives you goosebumps again when you see all the videos and next year’s route. Last year was a very powerful edition on a human level, in my view the strongest I’ve experienced. My goal now is to be in the top 3 or top 5 every year and to try to fight for the win. As for the 2027 route, I like rocky terrain; punctures in the car category are a real issue and not easy to manage. I think it’s going to be a long and very beautiful edition, and I believe we’ll have some great surprises. »

Adrien Van Beveren:
« On paper, this route might suit me better than others. There’s sand almost every day, and even some 100% dune stages, which is ideal for me. I started the Dakar in 2016, so this will be my 12^th, and I feel like time flies. Something changed in me at the end of Dakar 2026. I realized how incredible it is to take part in the Dakar. What we experience is truly powerful, and being here makes me fully aware of how lucky we are to be part of this odyssey. »