• A combination of sandy stretches and gravel await the event’s thrill-seeking competitors

Arab News, Riyadh

Organizers of the Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia 2020 have officially confirmed route details of the world’s most challenging rally race, which comes to Asia for the first time from Jan. 5 to 17 next year.

Welcoming it as “an event of immense global appeal” that shows the Kingdom’s passion and obsession for motorsport, Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Sport Authority (GSA),  said: “We have the privilege of launching chapter 3 of the Dakar story, introducing the race to Asia for the first time, where no country better describes the diversity of the desert terrains this continent has to offer than Saudi Arabia.

“Dakar Saudi Arabia 2020 will go through various terrain and scenery, and will be an exciting opportunity for the world to see the real Saudi Arabia, to meet its generous people and to experience first-hand how we are driven by ambition, professionalism and the steadfast desire to succeed at the highest levels,” he added.

Addressing more than 200 media outlets and broadcasters at a special press conference on Wednesday at the Arab World Institute in Paris, Prince Khalid bin Sultan Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Arabian Federation of Motor and Motorcycle Sports, and the rally’s director, David Castera, confirmed details of the 12 Dakar Saudi Arabia 2020 stages.

“Saudi Arabia and the Dakar Rally come together to write a new chapter of achievements in the world of motorsports, a chapter headlined by the challenge of discovering a new land and written by the warm hospitality the Kingdom and its people have to offer,” Prince Khalid said.

Extending over 7,500 kilometers of the Kingdom’s vast and unexplored desert, Dakar Saudi Arabia 2020 gets under way in Jeddah before drivers and crews navigate their way through the fast and winding dunes and stones for 752 kilometers.

The intimidating challenge continues north along the coast for nearly 900 kilometers through the Red Sea Project, until it reaches the futuristic megacity of Neom, where the marvelous journey reaches its highest point at an altitude of 1,400 meters amid a series of canyons and mountains.

A combination of sandy stretches and gravel await Dakar’s thrill-seeking competitors as they cruise next through 676 kilometers of the formidable trip from Neom to Al-Ula in Dakar’s fourth stage before the sandy hills of Ha’il put the navigation skills of competitors to the test while descending south onto Riyadh.

A rest day in the capital will be followed by Dakar Saudi Arabia’s next stage of 741 kilometers as the route takes a turn to the west in the center of the Kingdom’s enormous desert before looping back toward Haradh in the eastern governorate of Al-Ahsa, marking the entrance to the Empty Quarter and building up to the grand finale in Qiddiya, a future entertainment, sports and cultural destination, where the winner will be crowned.

Highlighting the magnitude of competing in the Dakar Rally and finishing the unnerving challenge, Castera said: “Crossing the Dakar finish line is nothing short of living the dream. You can do it on your first go, and sometimes your hopes may be dashed, but ultimately perseverance and clever strategy are most often rewarded. The happiness of these drivers and co-drivers also translates to the satisfaction of the organizers.

“In Africa, then in South America and now in Saudi Arabia for the launch of this new chapter, this extraordinary rally has always strived to accompany its competitors in the ultimate quest,” he added.