18 Deaths Prompt Dakar Rally Organizers to Abandon Saudi Arabia for 2027

The Amaury Sport Organisation announced on Sunday that the 2027 Dakar Rally will not take place in Saudi Arabia. The decision follows a series of recent attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this month, which killed 18 people and injured hundreds of others.

In a joint statement, the Amaury Sport Organisation and the Saudi Motorsport Company said the event will move to a different territory. They indicated that the specific new location will be revealed in the coming days. The two organizations also confirmed that the rally is planned to return to Saudi Arabia for the 2028 edition, which will mark the event's 50th running.

Saudi Arabia has hosted the race since 2020. Organizers had initially attempted to keep the 2027 event in the kingdom by designing a new route in the northern part of the country. However, the latest strikes on the airport made that plan unworkable. Specialist race media report that Morocco and Spain are currently under consideration as replacement hosts. A move to Morocco would return the event to Africa for the first time since 2007.

The Dakar Rally is the latest major sporting event to leave Saudi Arabia this year due to the US-Israel war on Iran and Houthi attacks on the kingdom. The Formula One grand prix in Jeddah was cancelled, and the Bahrain race was moved to Malaysia. The final round of the World Rally Championship, scheduled for next month in Saudi Arabia, has also been scrapped. An exhibition tennis event featuring Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alexander Zverev has been postponed until late December. The WTA Finals, originally planned for Riyadh next month, will instead be held in Indian Wells, California.

The final two Formula One races of the season remain on the calendar. The Qatar race is set for November 29, and the Abu Dhabi race is scheduled for December 6. The Qatar MotoGP event next month is also still planned. Reports indicate that all three events are the subject of intense internal debate among organizers.

Fighting between Yemeni government forces and Houthi fighters has intensified on several fronts in recent weeks. The conflict deepened a humanitarian crisis after the Houthis seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast from forces loyal to the internationally recognized government last month. Saudi Arabia leads the coalition backing the Yemeni government forces.

Houthi attacks have disrupted businesses, airlines, and daily life in the kingdom. The strikes have damaged the international image of the world's largest crude oil exporter. The series of events has forced a reassessment of high-profile sporting events scheduled for the region in the coming months.