Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (December 20th) – The first two sets of vehicles and freight for the Rally Dakar Saudi Arabia 2023 have touched down in Port Yanbu ready for the start of the world’s toughest endurance rally running from December 31st – 15th January 2023.
The vessels, carrying rallying and operational vehicles and equipment, arrived in Port Yanbu following a lengthy voyage from France where the vehicles passed their first scrutineering stage in Le Castellet, South of France (Nov 28th-30th). Passing this scrutineering stage means the vehicles are one step closer to being rally-ready.
Everyone knows the Rally Dakar is considered to be one of the greatest logistical challenges in all of motorsport, as the world’s most daring of drivers and riders tackle over 8,500km of rally stages across the deserts of Saudi Arabia in a gruelling two-week schedule. The task of organising and transporting the thousands of competitors, hundreds of vehicles alongside a vast amount of equipment in extreme conditions is a significant operational challenge. Now in its 45th official year, and it’s fourth in Saudi Arabia, the world’s best rally drivers and operators will descend on the desert in phenomenal numbers once more.
But what does it really take to put on the world’s toughest endurance rally? What goes into making an event of this sheer scale and magnitude memorable for everyone involved in this phenomenal adventure?
The 2022 numbers* tell the incredible story behind what it takes to deliver one of the greatest motorsport challenges in the world:
Organised by Amaury Sporting Organisation in conjunction with FIA and SMC (Saudi Motorsport Company) and other local authorities, the 45th running of the Dakar Rally will run to 8,549km across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with stages that will include three loop stages and one marathon stage. The FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship is the seventh motorsport discipline under FIA governance and will be promoted by ASO for a further four years.
