The Dakar rally in Saudi Arabia

'A challenge for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind'. With those famous words, Thierry Sabine, the creator of the Paris-Dakar Rally, kicked off the very first desert race in 1978. A ten thousand kilometer journey across the Sahara, with Dakar as its final destination. Racing heroes compete in the event in a variety of classes: cars, motorcycles, quads and trucks. The Dakar Rally was organized in Africa for decades, then moved to South America, landing in Saudi Arabia in 2020.

Bringing in the Dakar Rally is part of Vision 2030, a multi-year plan that aims to put the country on the international map. With sports as one of the main pillars. The 45th edition of the Dakar Rally took place between January 1 and 15, 2023.

The Dakar is the ultimate test for man and machine

Sand, in all shapes and colors. The route of the 2023 Dakar Rally would probably have met with the approval of the now deceased Thierry Sabine, who himself rode motorcycles and had a great fascination with the desert. The route started in Jeddah and had fourteen stages. Along the way, the drivers did AlUla, Riyadh and Damman to. Also, the Empty Quarter, the world's largest inland sand sea, was traversed. In total, the riders covered over five thousand kilometers. A true battle of attrition for man and machine. The Dakar Rally is obviously won by the driver, in each racing class, who completes the route the fastest. Of the 355 vehicles that started the race, 235 managed to reach the finish line.

Want to experience the Dakar action up close? You can. There are areas set up for spectators at the start and finish line of each stage. It is also possible to book a multi-day VIP Trip through the official travel branch of the Dakar Rally: Voyage Sport Organization. As a VIP, you will visit the opening ceremony and get a unique behind-the-scenes look. Together with a guide, you will enter the bivouac, the temporary camp for drivers and their teams, and get the chance to speak to drivers. When there is no racing for a while, you will participate in included activities.

Towards a clean future

Edition 44 of the Dakar Rally had a special premier: for the first time, cars running on alternative fuels competed. After all, racing is not the cleanest sport. The introduction of the so-called T1-Ultimate class is part of Dakar's ambitious plan for the future. If all goes well, the entire Dakar field will be driving a low-emission vehicle by 2030. In the T1-Ultimate class, two car brands and a total of four drivers battled it out to determine who would become the first "clean" Dakar winner. Audi delegated three hybrid e-tron cars, while professional motorsport company GCK keyed up a hydrogen-powered car.

New renewable technologies are also being experimented with alongside the course. The organization aims to power the bivouac entirely with renewable energy, with the sun as the most obvious source of energy. By 2025, the Dakar Rally bivouac should already be self-sufficient.