Riyadh (AFP)
Saudi Arabia will continue to host the Dakar Rally for the next few years, said race director David Castera, stressing that “we still have a lot of deserts to explore.”
Castera’s speech came on the sidelines of the penultimate stage of the rally, in which Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah is heading towards his fifth title on Sunday.
“I am very happy that we are staying here, with so many deserts to explore and this country has so much potential,” he said.
The Dakar Desert Rally moved to the Kingdom in 2020 following a stint in South America with an initial 10-year contract.
Organizing company Aso announced the move in 2019, saying a new chapter in the history of the legendary race would be written in the “vast and mysterious deserts”.
Castera commented, “Today there has been a big change, the organizing country is advancing at a rapid rate. We are here to organize a sporting event that has the legitimacy of being here because the land suits it.”
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in attracting high-profile sporting events including tennis, Formula One and golf, and is preparing a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Last month, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, five-time Ballon d’Or winner, signed with Al-Nasr Club in a deal worth 200 million euros.
