Beth agency:

The Saudi Ministry of Sports announced the details of the sixth edition of the Saudi Dakar Rally 2025 in its sixth consecutive edition in the kingdom, through a meeting held by suggestion "remotely", in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of the board of Directors of the Saudi automobile and Motorcycle Federation, the Saudi motor sports company, Mr. Jan luminaire, CEO of the Amaury Sport Organization, and Mr. David Castera, director of the Dakar Rally.

The Saudi Dakar Rally competitions will be held from January 3 to 17, 2025, with a distance of 7,707 km, starting from Bisha governorate in the south of the kingdom, passing to the North, connecting to the city of hail, and completing to the center of the kingdom in Dawadmi and Riyadh, while the conclusion will be in shabita, specifically in the Empty Quarter desert, which is the largest continuous sandy desert in the world.

On this occasion, His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal, chairman of the board of Directors of the Saudi automobile and Motorcycle Federation and chairman of the Saudi motorsport company, said: "We are proud that the kingdom is hosting the rally competitions for the sixth consecutive time, which confirms the generous support of His Highness The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques-may God protect him- His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Salman, Crown Prince and prime minister, and the continuous follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal, Minister of sports and chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, in addition to the prestigious status of our Kingdom and its high capabilities to host the most important and largest international events and events,"he said.

His Highness added:"the eyes of the world will turn to receive the world's elite rally drivers to participate in the Dakar Rally, which will carry a new route covering previously unknown areas, and opens up unique horizons for participants to explore the most wonderful natural and archaeological landscapes in the Kingdom, and the diverse and distinctive terrain.

His Highness welcomed the kingdom's guests participating in the sixth edition of the Saudi Dakar Rally 2025, pointing to the integration of all preparations to host this international event; to come up with an exceptional version, stressing his confidence in the ability of the kingdom's young men and women to provide a new and exceptional version to keep pace with this global event, and reflect the great ambitions to consolidate the status of Saudi Arabia as a home for motor sports in the world.

The route of this year's rally consists of a preliminary stage and 12 stages, starting with the preliminary stage from the overnight camp in Bisha governorate, passing through hanakiya, Ala, hail, duadmi, Riyadh, Haradh and shabita.

The schedule of the Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia 2025 is as follows:

- Technical inspection (Wednesday and Thursday, January 1-2): Bisha governorate

- Preliminary stage (Friday, January 3): Bisha– Bisha, for a distance of 75 kilometers (Special Stage: 29 kilometers).

- The first stage (Saturday, January 4): Bisha– Bisha, for a distance of 498 kilometers (special stage: 412 kilometers).

- The second stage is a 48-hour stage (Sunday and Monday, January 5-6): Bisha– Bisha, for a distance of 1057 kilometers (special stage: 965 kilometers).

- The third stage (Tuesday, January 7): Bisha– Al-hanakiya for a distance of 839 kilometers (special stage: 496 kilometers).

- The fourth stage (Wednesday, January 8): hanakiya– Alula, for a distance of 589 kilometers (special stage: 416 kilometers).

- The fifth stage, the marathon stage (Thursday, January 9): Alula– hail, for a distance of 491 kilometers (special stage: 428 kilometers).

- Rest day (Friday, January 10): Hail.

- The sixth stage (Saturday, January 11): Hail– Al-Dawadmi, for a distance of 839 kilometers (special stage: 616 kilometers).

- The seventh stage (Sunday, January 12): Al– Dawadmi-Al-Dawadmi, for a distance of 752 kilometers (special stage: 487 kilometers).

- The eighth stage (Monday, January 13): Al– Dawadmi-Riyadh, for a distance of 740 kilometers (special stage: 491 kilometers).

- The ninth stage (Tuesday, January 14): Riyadh– Haradh, for a distance of 589 kilometers (special stage: 357 kilometers).

- The tenth stage (Wednesday, January 15): Haradh– shabita, for a distance of 625 kilometers (special stage: 110 kilometers).

- The eleventh stage (Thursday, January 16): shabita– shabita, for a distance of 538 kilometers (special stage 314 kilometers).

- The twelfth stage (Friday, January 17): shabita– shabita, for a distance of 109 kilometers (special stage: 63 kilometers).

The Dakar Rally is considered one of the most important motorsport events in the world, especially since it has been held for more than 4 decades, and it has given great excitement to participants and the public, through multiple and diverse tracks, in Europe, Africa and South America, while the kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the first destination for the race on the continent of Asia, when it hosted it in 2020, and achieved great success in the fifth edition of this rally, which was held early this year 2024, and started from the Old City in Alula, and ended in Yanbu, witnessed many difficulties and challenges at all stages, the title went to the Spaniard Carlos Sainz, the driver of the Audi team, who won the rally for the car category For the fourth time in its history, and the second on the territory of the kingdom.