Saudi Arabia’s Dakar Rally 2023 registration underway

Registration for the 2023 Dakar Rally in the Kingdom are underway, race promoters Saudi Motorsports Company have confirmed.

The SMC, which operates under the umbrella of the Saudi Arabian Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, and organizers Amore Sport, announced that the submission window for the 45th edition of the race opened on Monday, June 6, and will run until Oct. 31, 2022.

The fourth edition of Dakar to take place entirely in Saudi Arabia will feature 70 percent new tracks, compared to the previous three years, and will showcase prominent desert landscapes and archaeological sites across the Kingdom.

The participants will start arriving in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 27 and 28, and the race will start with a preliminary stage from a camp on the banks of the Red Sea on Dec. 31, 2022. This result will determine the first stage’s start order on New Year’s Day.

The Dakar Rally will run from the west to the east of the country, with the competitors taking part in 14 stages over 15 days of competition. The race will conclude on Jan. 15, 2023 in Dammam.