Dakar 2027 remains scheduled for January 2027 in Saudi Arabia. The Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), which runs the rally, has rejected cancellation rumours and said preparations are continuing as planned. It is also staying in contact with its Saudi partners and monitoring developments closely.

That position comes against a deteriorating regional security backdrop. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement has claimed missile and drone attacks on Saudi-owned Aramco oil and gas facilities, as well as targets in Riyadh. The UK Foreign Office has separately updated its travel advice for parts of Saudi Arabia.

Other motorsport events have already been affected. The FIA cancelled the World Rally Championship round due to take place in Jeddah in November. Earlier this year, Formula 1’s Saudi Arabian and Bahrain Grands Prix were called off. MotoGP’s Qatar Grand Prix moved from April to November, while the FIA World Endurance Championship cancelled its Qatar round. MotoGP still plans to race at Lusail in November, and Formula 1’s Qatar event remains under review. Taken together, those decisions indicate an event-by-event approach rather than a single region-wide shutdown for a fixed period.

Route exposure and logistics

The current 2027 route plan calls for the rally to begin and end at King Abdullah Economic City on the Red Sea coast. It is expected to pass through areas including Al-Ula, Ha’il, Al-Duwadimi, Bisha, Wadi Ad-Dawasir and Al Bahah. Riyadh is not on the route, nor does it run directly along the Yemeni border. Several southern stages are nevertheless in the same general part of Saudi Arabia as affected areas, keeping security assessment central to the event’s planning.

The wider conflict involving Iran has intensified since February, with attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. More recently, Houthi attacks have extended to Red Sea shipping and targets in south-western Saudi Arabia. This also creates operational pressure for Dakar teams: vehicles and equipment are shipped from Europe towards Saudi Arabia through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, while insurance premiums have risen for vessels travelling through areas considered high risk.

ASO has not announced a cancellation or postponement. Registration and preparation remain on the existing timetable: Dakar Classic’s second assistance-rate deadline is 30 September, and general registration closes on October 20. The Jeddah WRC cancellation does not automatically decide Dakar’s fate, because the two events have different organisers, routes and operational requirements. Officially, Dakar 2027 is still going ahead, although the security situation remains fluid and under review.