he 2027 Dakar will take place in Portugal and Morocco, marking the event's return to the African continent for the first time since 2007.
The 49th edition will serve as the opening round of the 2027 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, with a prologue and 12 stages scheduled from 9 to 23 January.
Competitors will cover a total distance of 7,824 km, including 4,341 km of competitive special stages, with the route extending from Loulé-Faro in Portugal to Marrakech in Morocco.
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, has today confirmed that the 49th edition of the Dakar will be exceptionally relocated to Portugal and Morocco from 9 to 23 January 2027, subject to approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, marking the event’s return to the African continent for the first time in 20 years.
The event, will serve as the opening round of the 2027 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, and will feature a prologue followed by 12 stages across Portugal and Morocco, covering a total distance of 7,824 km, including 4,341 km of competitive special stages. The route will incorporate six bivouacs before concluding in Marrakech on 23 January.
The relocation follows the decision that the 2027 edition of the Dakar will not take place in Saudi Arabia as originally scheduled following recent developments in the region. The event will return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2028 for its 50th edition.
Portugal and Morocco both have extensive experience in hosting international rally-raid competitions, supported by their respective FIA Member Clubs. The Federação Portuguesa de Automobilismo e Karting (FPAK) and the Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP) have a rich history of supporting and organising elite international rally-raid competitions in Portugal, including the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, which has formed part of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship for the past three seasons. Meanwhile, the Fédération Royale Marocaine des Sports Automobiles (FRMSA) has a longstanding history of supporting the development of motor sport in Morocco. The country has strong ties to the Dakar, having featured in previous editions of the event, and continues to play an important role in international rally-raid competition through the Rallye du Maroc, an established round of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship.
The 2027 edition will begin in Loulé-Faro, Portugal, where the Algarve Stadium will host the event's opening activities. The service park will open on 5 January, followed by administrative and technical scrutineering from 6 to 8 January.
Competitive action will begin with the prologue on 9 January, followed by the first special stage on 10 January. Competitors will then travel to the port for an overnight Mediterranean crossing to Nador, Morocco.
Following their arrival in Morocco on 11 January, competitors will transfer to the first Moroccan bivouac in Bouarfa, before heading south through Zagora towards Agadir, where the event's rest day will take place.
The second half of the rally will take competitors further south through Smara and towards Dakhla, before the route turns north along the Atlantic coast, passing through Smara once again ahead of the finish in Marrakech on 23 January.
The route has been developed by the event organisers following a series of reconnaissance missions, with the majority of special stages ranging from 350 to 500 km. The varied terrain and demanding desert conditions will provide a significant sporting and technical challenge for competitors across the championship's categories.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA said: “We are extremely proud of the collaboration that will enable the event to go ahead in Portugal and Morocco. Both countries have a rich sporting heritage and strong ties to cross-country rallying. Their combined efforts and those of our FIA Member Clubs will help deliver another memorable edition of this iconic event for competitors and fans around the world.”
The dates of the 2027 Dakar remain subject to approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
