Riyadh strikes kill 18, forcing 2027 Dakar Rally to leave Saudi Arabia

Eighteen people died in a series of attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this month, an event that directly caused organizers to pull the 2027 Dakar Rally from Saudi Arabia. The Amaury Sport Organisation and the Saudi Motorsport Company issued a joint statement on Sunday confirming the decision. They cited recent developments in the region as the primary reason for the change. The race is scheduled to take place in January and will be held in a different territory. The specific new location is expected to be revealed in the coming days.

Saudi Arabia has hosted the Dakar Rally since 2020. The event is one of the most demanding off-road competitions in the world. Specialist race media indicate that Morocco and Spain are the leading candidates to replace the kingdom as host. If the race moves to Morocco, it would return to Africa for the first time since 2007. The organizers stated they plan to return to Saudi Arabia for the 2028 edition. That year marks the rally's 50th running, a milestone the organizers say they intend to celebrate in the kingdom.

The decision to move the 2027 event followed failed attempts to design a new route in northern Saudi Arabia. Organizers had hoped to keep the race in the country by avoiding affected areas. The latest strikes made that plan impossible. The attacks on the airport resulted in the deaths of 18 people and left hundreds more injured. This disruption is part of a wider pattern of sporting events leaving Saudi Arabia this year due to the US-Israel war on Iran and Houthi attacks on the kingdom.

The Formula One grand prix in Jeddah was cancelled earlier in the season. The Bahrain race was called off and later rescheduled in Malaysia under the same name. The final round of the World Rally Championship in Saudi Arabia next month has also been scrapped. In tennis, an exhibition event featuring Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alexander Zverev was postponed until late December. The WTA Finals, originally planned for Riyadh next month, will now be played at Indian Wells in California.

The final two Formula One races of the season remain on the calendar. Qatar hosts a race on November 29, followed by Abu Dhabi on December 6. The Qatar MotoGP race is also scheduled for next month. These events are reportedly the subject of intense internal debate regarding their safety and logistics. In Yemen, fighting between government forces and Houthi fighters has intensified on several fronts in recent weeks. This escalation deepened a humanitarian crisis in the region.

The war escalated sharply last month when Houthi forces seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast. They took this land from forces loyal to the internationally recognised government. Saudi Arabia leads a coalition that backs these Yemeni government forces. The Houthi attacks have disrupted businesses, airlines, and daily life in the kingdom. They have also damaged the international image of the world's biggest crude oil exporter.