Morocco and Portugal will jointly host the 49th edition of the Dakar Rally, scheduled for January 9 to 23, 2027. This exceptional relocation of the famous motorsport competition was announced on Friday by the organizers, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO).
The 2027 edition will also mark the start of the World Rally-Raid Championship season of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM).
The route will stretch from Loulé-Faro in Portugal to Marrakech in Morocco. It will include a prologue and twelve stages. The Algarve will host the prologue and the first special stage, while Morocco will be the main setting for the competition, with eleven stages and a rest day scheduled in Agadir.
Competitors will cross the kingdom from north to its far south, passing through six bivouacs along a total route of 7,824 kilometers, including 4,341 kilometers of timed special stages.
The organizers particularly highlight the potential of Morocco's landscapes and the diversity of its desert areas, considered especially well suited to the demands of rally-raid racing.
"Morocco has always stood out for the quality of its deserts, which make this vast territory, still full of surprises, an outstanding destination for rally-raid sports,” the statement emphasized.
The organizers also believe that the kingdom's experience in hosting major international events is an asset in meeting this new logistical and sporting challenge.
With this exceptional edition, Morocco once again takes a central place on the Dakar Rally route, with the competition's return to Saudi Arabia already announced for 2028.