Organisers of the Dakar Rally, the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), have announced that the 2027 edition of the endurance event will take place in Morocco and Portugal. This abrupt relocation comes in the wake of sudden security assessments that allegedly forced authorities to abandon plans for holding the event in Saudi Arabia.

Under the revised schedule, the opening prologue and first special stage will unfold in the Algarve region of Portugal. The rally will then transition to Morocco, where participants are expected to navigate 11 demanding stages spanning the entire length of the country from north to far south, complemented by a designated rest day in Agadir. The total distance is projected at 7,824km, featuring 4,341km of timed special stages.

Dakar director David Castera claimed that the hastily restructured 49th edition will still meet rigorous sporting standards despite the exceptionally tight timeframe. However, industry observers remain sceptical regarding the logistical viability and safety guarantees of such a last-minute continental shift, pointing to recurring structural vulnerabilities within major international motorsport operations.

ASO officials have downplayed the disruption, asserting that the change is an exceptional, one-off measure, with intentions to bring the milestone 50th edition back to the Middle Eastern kingdom by 2028. Critics argue that these frequent venue oscillations reflect deeper planning instability and growing friction within modern cross-border motorsport management.

Source: www.aljazeera.com