W hile many large scale events are shying away from returning until the Covid-19 pandemic has been reigned in , the 43rd edition of the Dakar Rally is set to rev into life next month with an all-new route . Once again the Dakar will be hosted in Saudi Arabia with a loop of the Arab nation starting in and finishing in the city of Jeddah on the Red Sea . As per tradition , the 2021 Dakar Rally kicks off on January 3rd and runs until the 15th . A quicker than usual pace with only one rest day , the 2021 route first heads south to Bisha before making the turn east to Wadi Ad-Dawasir on day three . The Rally then heads north through Riyadh and Buraydah before the rest day in Ha ’ il . The following day sees racers head to Sakaka for the turn west towards the Red Sea before returning to Jeddah on January 15th . It ’ s obviously not been an easy job to get the next Dakar up and running in the current climate , and the Director of the Dakar , David Castera , says that simply getting to the start of the Dakar is a win . “ It is often said that being on the start line of the Dakar is a victory in itself and come the third of January , this maxim will be on everyone ’ s mind ”, he said , “ Loyalty goes hand in hand with trust . Dakar fans have placed their trust in us . They have made the choice to follow us . Not blindly , but fully aware of how we do things and our sense of responsibility . In much the same way , our commitment to our core values has been our guiding light in preparing the 2021 Dakar . This is why we have taken new steps with a focus on navigation and safety . Our deeply held passion for nomadism spurs us on to continue exploring the deserts of Saudi Arabia . In our effort to keep the legend alive , we have also created the new “ Dakar Classic ” category for vehicles from the last century .” Sadly , the new Dakar Classic is for cars and trucks - dashing our fleeting hopes of seeing stripped down airhead GS models like Gaston Rahier ’ s roaring across the desert .