The 47th edition of the Dakar Rally will begin on 3 January and mark the start of the 2026 motorsport season.
As has been the case every year since 2020, the event will run entirely in Saudi Arabia, having moved from its former base in South America. This means the Gulf nation will be the sole host of the world’s most prestigious cross-country rally for the seventh consecutive year
But while the location remains the same, organiser ASO has significantly reworked the route for 2026, offering competitors a fresh challenge across Saudi Arabia’s vast deserts.
The 2026 Dakar Rally will feature 13 full stages, plus the traditional Prologue that will help determine the starting order for the first full day of action. The rally will be split by a rest day in the capital Riyadh, allowing crews some vital recovery time before the decisive second week.
Competitors in the cars category will cover 7,994 kilometres over two weeks, including 4,880km in the form of competitive special stages, with the remainder made up of transport sections.
With nearly 5,000km of timed running, the 2026 edition will be one of the longest Dakars in terms of competitive distance, making it potentially one of the toughest events in the rally’s recent history.
One of the biggest changes for 2026 is the removal of the 48-hour chrono stage, which was introduced in 2024 and revised for last year’s event.
The decision was made in the wake of a crash-heavy 2025 event in which several leading contenders were knocked out in the opening week, including on the brutal 48-hour stage early in the rally.
"That's not the case because last year we had a small problem, especially with the cars, but also with the motorcycles," Dakar director David Castera explained.
"It was mainly about strategy, starting order, and so on. A 48-hour stage doesn't really help in that regard, so I scrapped it. We'll see if we can find another solution later.
“But last year we already saw that many competitors deliberately stopped at the end of the stages so they could start later the next day. So they deliberately lost time."
In place of the 48-hour stage, the old two-day marathon format returns in 2026 and will appear twice on the route. As per marathon rules, competitors will not be allowed any external assistance from their support crews at the overnight bivouac.
The first marathon will take place stages on 4 and 5 through Al Ula and Hail, while the second one will comprise stages 9 and 10 when competitors traverse through Wadi Ad Dawasir and Bisha.
Further, Dakar will not venture into the unforgiving Empty Quarters desert in Saudi Arabia as part of the new route. However, there will be no shortage of sand dunes this year, particularly in the second week when drivers and riders tackle the barren regions around Wadi Ad Dawasir.
"The difficulty is different from last year or the year before, because now the number of kilometres is the most important factor,” said Castera.
“We have almost 5,000 kilometres of timed stages, and that's a lot. It's been a long time since we've had that many kilometres. I think this is one of the longest Dakars ever.”
Dakar Rally: Full 2026 route
|
Date
|
Stage number
|
Location
|
Distance
|
Special
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3 Jan
|
Prologue
|
Yanbu
|
98km
|
23km
|
|
4 Jan
|
Stage 1
|
Yanbu
|
518km
|
305km
|
|
5 Jan
|
Stage 2
|
Yanbu - Al Ula
|
504km
|
400km
|
|
6 Jan
|
Stage 3
|
Al Ula
|
666km
|
422km
|
|
7 Jan
|
Stage 4*
|
Al Ula
|
526km
|
451km
|
|
8 Jan
|
Stage 5*
|
Hail
|
417km
|
356km
|
|
9 Jan
|
Stage 6
|
Hail-Riyadh
|
920km
|
331km
|
|
10 Jan
|
Rest day
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
11 Jan
|
Stage 7
|
Wadi Ad Dawasir
|
876km
|
462km
|
|
12 Jan
|
Stage 8
|
Wadi Ad Dawasir
|
717km
|
481km
|
|
13 Jan
|
Stage 9*
|
Wadi Ad Dawasir - Bisha
|
540km
|
418km
|
|
14 Jan
|
Stage 10*
|
Bisha
|
417km
|
371km
|
|
15 Jan
|
Stage 11
|
Bisha - Al Henakiyah
|
882km
|
347km
|
|
16 Jan
|
Stage 12
|
Al Henakiyah - Yanbu
|
718km
|
310km
|
|
17 Jan
|
Stage 13
|
Yanbu
|
141km
|
105km
|
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