Saudi Arabia opens registration for Dakar Rally 2020

A competitor in an earlier Dakar Rally. Courtesy of Amaury Sport Organization

By Yi Whan-woo

The organizers of Saudi Arabia’s first Dakar Rally in 2020 have begun to receive registrations from pilots and teams worldwide.

The Saudi General Sports Authority (GSA), a co-organizer along with the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation and Amaury Sport Organization, said registrations opened on May 15 on the Dakar Rally Saudi 2020 website.

Registration is available in English, Arabic, French and Spanish.

“These steps are in preparation for the launch of this grand rally,” GSA said. “The 2020 edition of the Dakar Rally is expected to be exceptional in its history, and will be the biggest, longest, most difficult and most exciting one in the history of the Dakar Rally.”

The rally will be held in Saudi Arabia for the first time after being held in Africa and South America for 30 years.

The Middle Eastern country has signed a 10-year partnership with Amaury Sport Organization.

Dubbed as the toughest physical and mental motorsport challenge, the 10-stage, 9,000-kilometer race will start in the port city of Jeddah in western Saudi Arabia on Jan. 5 and end in Qiddiya on Jan. 17.

The competition will be in four categories — cars, trucks, motorcycles and UTV and SxS.

The organizers are seeking to attract competitors from up to 60 countries.

The Dakar Rally was inspired by Thierry Sabine, a French wrangler and motorcycle racer who got lost in the Libyan Desert in 1977 while competing in the Abidjan-Nice Rally.

After being rescued on the verge of death, he vowed to share his experience in the desert with the whole world.

The 1979 Dakar Rally, also known as the 1979 Paris-Dakar Rally, was the first such event.