Today, Saturday, the city of Hail, Saudi Arabia, witnessed the official opening ceremony of the third edition of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, on the eve of the start of the official race tomorrow, Sunday, January 2nd. Its total distance is 8,119 km, including 4,261 km.

And Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal tweeted on his Twitter account:

"As 2022 starts, hosting the largest international sporting events continues with the launch of #Dakar2022  

Best of luck to the participants and welcome to Dakar in the kingdom of generosity"

The Dakar Rally "Saudi Arabia 2022" will last for 14 days during the period between January 1 and 14, during which competitors cross 12 different stages, in various governorates, cities and regions of Saudi Arabia.

Six categories are participating in the rally: cars, motorcycles, quad bikes, trucks, light desert vehicles, in addition to the Dakar Classic category.

 12 stages of the race

The first (January 2), Hail: 1128 km - the special stage 352 km.

The second (January 3), Hail - Artawiya: 568 km - the special stage 338 km.

The third (4 January), Artawiya - Qaisumah: 555 km - the special stage 368 km.

Fourth (January 5), Qaisumah - Riyadh: 707 km - Special stage 465 km.

Fifth (January 6), Riyadh: 637 km - Special Stage 421 km.

Sixth (January 7), Riyadh: 562 km - Special Stage 348 km.

Rest Day (January 8) Riyadh.

Seventh (January 9), Riyadh - Dawadmi: 701 km - Special Stage 402 km.

Eighth (10 January), Dawadmi - Wadi Al-Dawasir: 830 km - Special Stage 395 km.

- Ninth (January 11), Wadi Al Dawasir: 491 km - Special Stage 287 km.

Tenth (January 12), Wadi Al-Dawasir - Bisha: 759 km - the special stage is 375 km.

Eleventh (January 13), Bisha: 501 km - Special stage 346 km.

- Twelfth (January 14), Bisha - Jeddah: 680 km - 164 km special stage.

The 44th edition of the Dakar Rally "Saudi Arabia 2022" attracted more than 650 participants, representing 70 nationalities from around the world, making it the largest edition in terms of participation in the history of the rally. The race also includes 430 vehicles in various race categories, and 148 other vehicles in the "Dakar Classic" category.