Dakar Rally 2026 Kicks Off in Saudi Arabia; First Official Stage Set for Sunday

Dakar: The Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia 2026 kicked off on Saturday with the prologue stage, marking the Kingdom's seventh consecutive hosting of the event. The rally is organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and supervised by the Ministry of Sport. According to Saudi Press Agency, the prologue stage featured a 95-kilometer route in Yanbu Governorate, including a 22-kilometer special stage. It was designed to test the readiness of drivers and vehicles and determine the starting order for the upcoming rally stages. A total of 787 drivers and co-drivers participated across seven categories: cars, motorcycles, Challenger, SSV, trucks, as well as 97 vehicles competing in the Dakar Classic and Mission 1000 categories. The first official stage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia 2026 will begin on Sunday. It will be a loop stage starting and ending in Yanbu Governorate, covering a total distance of 518 kilometers, including 305 kilometers of timed special stage.