Saudi Participation In Dakar Rally 2026 Expands With 25 Competitors From Saudi Arabia

Saudi participation in the Dakar Rally continues to grow as Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia 2026 approaches, with 25 Saudi male and female competitors confirmed. They will race on home soil between 3 and 17 January, joining an international field that further cements Saudi Arabia’s role as a central hub for major motorsport events.

This strong presence reflects how the Kingdom’s involvement has expanded from a few individual entries to an organised national effort. Over recent years, Saudi drivers have moved from simply taking part to becoming serious title contenders, highlighted by a Saudi competitor winning the most recent edition of the rally.

Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia 2026 is the seventh edition hosted in the Kingdom and will welcome more than 812 competitors from 69 nationalities. The field will use 433 vehicles across several categories, with this scale of participation reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s image as a regular destination for elite rally-raid contests on the global calendar.

Among the Saudi drivers, last edition’s champion Yazeed Al Rajhi leads the national line-up and prepares for a 12th Dakar Rally start. Al Rajhi aims to defend the title in the car category after a strong run in the World Rally-Raid Championship, where recent results have confirmed a place among the top international competitors.

Saudi women competitors also feature, with Dania Akeel a key name in the Challenger class. Akeel is preparing for a fifth Dakar Rally appearance, having finished eighth in the 2022 event and previously won the 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas in the T3 category, reflecting wider growth in the Kingdom’s motorsport programme.

The event is organised by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation in partnership with the Saudi Motorsport Company, under the supervision of the Ministry of Sport. This shared structure supports the rally while also strengthening the motorsport sector in Saudi Arabia and enhancing its international profile through consistent hosting of large-scale competitions.

With inputs from SPA