Dakar Rally 2026

Saudi Arabia · Prologue + 13 stages · 7,940 km · 6 categories

Past Stages (14)

Stage 13

Stage 13Yanbu → Yanbu · 105 km SS / 141 km

Stage 12

Stage 12Al Henakiyah → Yanbu · 310 km SS / 718 km

Stage 11

Stage 11Bisha → Al Henakiyah · 347 km SS / 882 km

Stage 10

Stage 10Bisha → Bisha · 371 km SS / 417 km

Stage 9

Stage 9 (Marathon)Wadi Ad Dawasir → Bisha · 418 km SS / 540 km · Marathon

Stage 8

Stage 8Wadi Ad Dawasir → Wadi Ad Dawasir · 481 km SS / 717 km

Stage 7

Stage 7Riyadh → Wadi Ad Dawasir · 462 km SS / 876 km

Stage 6

Stage 6Ha'il → Riyadh · 331 km SS / 920 km

Stage 5

Stage 5AlUla → Ha'il · 356 km SS / 417 km

Stage 4

Stage 4 (Marathon)AlUla → AlUla · 451 km SS / 526 km · Marathon

Stage 3

Stage 3AlUla → AlUla · 422 km SS / 666 km

Stage 2

Stage 2Yanbu → AlUla · 400 km SS / 504 km

Stage 1

Stage 1Yanbu → Yanbu · 305 km SS / 518 km

Prologue

PrologueYanbu → Yanbu · 23 km SS / 98 km

The 48th Dakar

The 2026 Dakar Rally was the 48th edition of the event, running from 3 to 17 January across Saudi Arabia. A total of 317 vehicles started from Yanbu on the Red Sea coast after a prologue and 13 stages covering approximately 8,000 km of total route. The rest day fell on 10 January in Riyadh.

The rally featured marathon stages where competitors received no external crew assistance at the overnight bivouac. Stage 4 (7 January) ran as a hybrid chrono-marathon format, with crews rejoining before Stage 5. Stages 9 and 10 (13-14 January) formed the second marathon block through Wadi Ad Dawasir and Bisha. On marathon stages, drivers and riders could only use tools and parts carried on board for repairs.

Results

Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar won the car category driving a Dacia Sandrider, his sixth Dakar victory and Dacia's first ever win at the event. Luciano Benavides of Argentina took the bike category on a KTM. Vaidotas Žala of Lithuania won the truck category for Nørdis Team De Rooy FPT.

From Paris to Saudi Arabia

The Dakar Rally began on 26 December 1978 as the Paris-Dakar, crossing the Sahara from France to Senegal. Of 182 vehicles that started, 74 finished. The rally ran across Africa for 29 editions until 2007, when security threats in Mauritania forced the cancellation of the 2008 race. It relocated to South America from 2009 to 2019, then moved to Saudi Arabia in 2020 where it has remained. The event is organized by Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), the French company that also runs the Tour de France.

What time do Dakar stages start? All stages began in Arabia Standard Time (AST, UTC+3). A 06:00 AST start translates to 03:00 GMT in London, 22:00 EST (previous day) in New York, and 12:00 JST in Tokyo.

Categories

Bikes Motorcycle category including RallyGP, Rally2, and Original by Motul classes
Cars Car category including T1+, T1.1, T1.2, T1.3, T2 classes
Challenger Lightweight prototype buggies (T3 class)
SSV Side-by-side utility vehicles (T4 class)
Stock Near-production vehicles (STK class)
Trucks Heavy vehicle category including T5 classes

Route Statistics

Total Route7,940 km
Timed Specials4,782 km
Stages14 (incl. prologue)
CountrySaudi Arabia
Start / FinishYanbu
Rest Day10 Jan (Riyadh)

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the 2026 Dakar Rally?

The 2026 Dakar Rally ran from 3 to 17 January 2026 in Saudi Arabia, the 48th edition of the event. It started and finished in Yanbu.

How many stages are in the 2026 Dakar Rally?

The 2026 Dakar features a prologue plus 13 stages, covering 7,940 km total with 4,782 km of timed special stages.

What categories race in the Dakar Rally?

The Dakar Rally features Bikes (RallyGP, Rally2), Cars (T1+, T1, T2), Challenger (T3 lightweight buggies), SSV (T4 side-by-sides), Trucks (T5), Stock (near-production), and Classics.

What is a marathon stage at the Dakar?

Marathon stages are stages where competitors receive no external crew assistance at the overnight bivouac. In 2026, Stages 4 and 9 are marathon stages (crews rejoin before Stage 5 and Stage 10 respectively).