Bahrain Sponsors X-raid Rally Team to Join Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia

Sheikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, President of Bahrain's Motor Federation said: "This is as much a moment of pride for Bahrain, as it is for our region. Our participation shows Bahrain's advances in the motorsports world, inspired no doubt by Bahrain's pioneering move to host the Formula One Grand Prix since 2004." SheikhAbdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, President ofBahrain'sMotor Federation said: "This is as much a moment of pride forBahrain, as it is for our region. Our ...

MANAMA, Bahrain, 02/01/2020 (informazione.news - comunicati stampa - spettacolo)

The rally will be flagged off in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah and conclude in the capital, Riyadh , covering 7,500 kilometres. The route will pass through some of the vital and most picturesque destinations in Saudi Arabia , including the UNESCO World Heritage site of Al Ula in the north-west; Tabouk region in the north-west, which is home to the futuristic Neom-city project; the ancient Ha'il region; and Wadi Al Dawasir in Najd province, which is being developed in the middle of the desert as a new urban centre.

The Dakar Rally is the latest in a series of sporting events to be hosted in Saudi Arabia , with both Race of Champions (ROC) and Formula E hosting rounds having been held in Riyadh , apart from the FIA-backed Middle East Rally Championship. 

The Dakar Rally, an annual event which was first launched in Paris 1979, ran from Europe to the Senegalese city it is named after for decades, then moved to South America in 2009, where it remained until now.