YANBU: Final preparations for Saudi Arabia’s Dakar Rally 2026 have entered their concluding phase, with less than two weeks to go until the world’s toughest endurance race gets underway in the Kingdom for a seventh consecutive year.

Held under the auspices of the Ministry of Sport and organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation in partnership with the Saudi Motorsport Company, the rally runs from Jan. 3-17 and features 14 race days, including a prologue and 13 competitive stages.

A milestone was reached in logistical operations last week when two vessels carrying rally vehicles and equipment from Barcelona arrived at King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu.

Technical scrutineering for all competing vehicles is scheduled for Jan. 1-2, marking the final step before competition begins.

This year’s event will feature 812 competitors representing 69 nationalities and competing across 433 vehicles in a wide range of categories.

The entry list includes 73 ultimate cars, 118 motorbikes, 46 trucks, 38 challengers, 43 side-by-side vehicles, eight stock vehicles, 75 classic cars, 24 classic trucks, and seven Mission 1000 motorbikes, as well as a Mission 1000 truck, highlighting the rally’s scale and diversity.

The action begins on Saturday, Jan. 3, with a 23-km prologue in Yanbu, followed by Stage 1 on Jan. 4, a 305-km loop starting and finishing in the coastal city.

The route then heads to AlUla for Stages 2 and 3 before continuing through a demanding sequence of desert stages across the Kingdom.

Competitors will race from AlUla to a bivouac refuge on Jan. 7, then to Hail the day after and Riyadh on Jan. 9, ahead of a rest day on Jan. 10.

The second half of the rally resumes with stages through Wadi Al-Dawasir, Bisha and Al-Henakiyah, before the event concludes back in Yanbu on Jan. 17.

Saudi Arabia’s continued hosting of the Dakar Rally underscores its growing status as a global hub for motorsport and international sporting events.

The Kingdom is the only country to host a broad spectrum of elite motorsport competitions, including Formula One, Formula E, the FIA World Rally Championship and Extreme H, alongside the Dakar Rally.