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Issue #16:May 8, 2026
On May 5, 2026 (local time), the Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.), organizer of the Dakar Rally, announced the outline for the 49th edition of the Dakar Rally, which is set to take place in 2027.
The 2027 rally will once again be held within a single country, Saudi Arabia, and is planned to run for a total of 15 days from January 1 to January 15, 2027. The event will consist of one prologue stage and 13 competition stages, with one intermediate rest day during which there will be no competition.
The rally route is planned to take participants around Saudi Arabia, starting and finishing in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), located along the Red Sea coast. The total distance of the competition sections will reach 5,320 km, making it the longest edition since the rally moved to Saudi Arabia. The rest day is scheduled for January 9 in Bisha. King Abdullah Economic City, which will be the rally’s main hub, is a large port city facing the Red Sea, characterized by its combination of modern urban infrastructure and its location as a gateway to the desert. During the rally, a large-scale bivouac will be established in the city, which will be used for scrutineering, opening ceremonies, and as a base for team activities.
In terms of course characteristics, the 2027 route is expected to feature a greater variety of terrain than ever before, with a continuous range of diverse landscapes including vast dune fields, sandy plateaus, canyons, and rocky sections. It has been announced that three entirely new course sections, never used before, will be introduced.
Furthermore, this edition will have a higher percentage of sand compared to previous years. In addition to the technical rocky sections, performance in more demanding sand sections will become a key factor for the teams. As for the marathon stages, where service from mechanics is restricted, there will be one in the first half and one in the second half of the rally. This will place decisive importance on both machine durability and the crew’s endurance and management capabilities.
Set against a harsh natural environment, the Dakar Rally represents the pinnacle of rally raid competition. The unseen faces of the Saudi Arabian landscape in the 2027 edition are sure to give us two weeks of action and suspense.
In the 2026 Dakar Rally, TLC finished 3rd in the Stock class, a result that left a sense of frustration. In order to ensure that the Land Cruiser continues to be a vehicle that can “go anywhere and come back alive,” TLC will keep striving to build ever better cars and will continue to refine the Land Cruiser through participation in the Dakar Rally.
For the 2027 rally, in addition to the increased competitive distance, teams will need to adapt to even more varied surface conditions than before. Not only the durability and off-road performance of the rally vehicles, but also the overall strength of the team will be key to success. Since the previous rally, TLC has been advancing vehicle development to address issues encountered and further enhance competitiveness. With the goal of reclaiming the top spot, TLC is preparing to take on the 2027 rally with an even more evolved setup, and asks for continued support as preparations push ahead this season.
Stay tuned for the upcoming Dakar Rally 2027!
Rally Overview
| Event Name: | Dakar Rally 2027 |
| Host Country: | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates: | Friday, January 1 – Friday, January 15, 2027 |
| Start & Finish Location: |
King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) |