Dakar Rally to kick off in Saudi Arabia
12-stage race starts Friday, ending January 17
The famous off-road endurance event Dakar Rally, regarded as one of the most challenging and dangerous races in the world, will kick off in Saudi Arabia on Friday.
The 47th edition of the rally will commence with the preliminary stage in Bisha and conclude with stage 12 in Shubaytah on January 17.
The 2025 Dakar Rally will cover a 5,209-kilometer course, spanning the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula, sand dunes, mountains, and the Rub' al Khali Desert throughout the competition.
- Two-day marathon stage
Similar to last year, this edition of the rally will feature a two-day marathon stage.
Drivers must reach one of the six designated campsites by 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT) to spend the night during the second stage, which will span two days.
With minimal provisions, the drivers will resume their journey the following morning to complete the remaining 965 kilometers of the stage.
- Peterhansel has the most championships
Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel, with 14 Dakar Rally titles—eight in cars and six in motorcycles—holds the record for the most victories in the competition.
Last year, Spain's Carlos Sainz won the car category, claiming his fourth title, while Ricky Brabec from the US triumphed in the motorcycle category for the second time.
Frenchman Sebastien Loeb, a nine-time World Rally Championship winner, will again challenge for the title in the Dakar Rally, which he has been part of since 2016.
In addition to Sainz, Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah will compete in the car category, while Brabec and former champion Kevin Benavides of Argentina will take part in the motorcycle race.
- 33 drivers die in challenging event
Since its inception in 1979, the Dakar Rally has seen 33 drivers lose their lives in various accidents during the races.
The rally has been organized in eight different categories, including ATV since 2009 and UTV since 2017. Besides cars, motorcycles, and trucks, nearly 50 non-drivers—journalists, organizers, and spectators—have also lost their lives, although the exact number is not known due to incomplete official records.
Thierry Sabine, the founder of the Dakar Rally, tragically died during the event in 1986.
- Stages
The 12 stages of the 2025 Dakar Rally are as follows:
Stage Date Start Finish Length (km)
Preliminary stage January 3 Bisha Bisha 29
1 January 4 Bisha Bisha 412
2 January 5-6 Bisha Bisha 965
3 January 7 Bisha Al Hinakiyah 496
4 January 8 Al Hinakiyah Al-Ula 415
5 January 9 Al-Ula Ha'il 428
Break January 10 - - -
6 January 11 Ha'il Al Duwadimi 606
7 January 12 Al Duwadimi Al Duwadimi 481
8 January 13 Al Duwadimi Riyadh 487
9 January 14 Riyadh Haradh 357
10 January 15 Haradh Shubaytah 119
11 January 16 Shubaytah Shubaytah 280
12 January 17 Shubaytah Shubaytah 134
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