18 killed in Riyadh as Dakar Rally 2027 leaves Saudi Arabia

Eighteen people were killed in a series of strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this month, a toll that forced organizers to pull the 2027 Dakar Rally from Saudi Arabia. The Amaury Sport Organisation and the Saudi Motorsport Company announced the change on Sunday. They cited recent developments in the region as the reason for the abrupt shift.

The rally, one of the most demanding off-road events in the world, was originally scheduled for January in the kingdom. Instead, it will be staged in a different territory. The two organizing bodies said the specific new location will be revealed in the coming days. They confirmed a planned return to Saudi Arabia for the 2028 edition, which organizers intend to mark as the rally's 50th running.

Saudi Arabia has hosted the Dakar since 2020. Before that, the race moved to South America after being called off in Africa in 2008 due to security concerns. Specialist race media report that Morocco and Spain are under consideration as replacements for 2027. A move to Morocco would return the event to Africa for the first time since 2007.

Organizers had initially hoped to keep the 2027 race in Saudi Arabia by designing a new route in the northern part of the country. The latest strikes on the Riyadh airport made that plan impossible. The attacks injured hundreds of people in addition to the 18 fatalities. This event is the latest sporting cancellation in the kingdom this year, driven by the US-Israel war on Iran and deadly Houthi attacks.

Other major sporting events have also been affected by the conflict. The Formula One grand prix in Jeddah was cancelled, and the Bahrain race was rescheduled in Malaysia. The final round of the World Rally Championship in Saudi Arabia next month has been scrapped. An exhibition tennis event featuring Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alexander Zverev was postponed until late December. The WTA Finals, originally planned for Riyadh, will now be played at Indian Wells in California.

The final two Formula One races of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain on the calendar, as does next month's Qatar MotoGP. All three events are reportedly the subject of intense internal debate. In Yemen, fighting between government forces and Houthi fighters has intensified on several fronts in recent weeks. The war escalated sharply last month when Houthis seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast from forces loyal to the internationally recognized government.

Saudi Arabia leads a coalition backing the Yemeni government forces. The Houthi attacks have disrupted businesses, airlines, and daily life in the kingdom. The strikes have also damaged the international image of the world's biggest crude oil exporter.