The 2027 FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship will feature five rounds across three continents, with Dakar opening the season in January and Morocco closing it in October. The events are familiar, but the spacing between them gives W2RC a noticeably different rhythm.
Dakar, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, South African Safari Rally, bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal and Rallye OLA Energie du Maroc make up the 2027 schedule.
Rather than expanding the number of rounds, the championship has created more separation between them. For teams balancing recovery, freight, testing and wider racing programmes, those gaps could prove as significant as the calendar itself.
Dakar and Abu Dhabi Open the Season
There is no change to the championship’s starting point.
The 49th Dakar Rally will run from 1–15 January, with Saudi Arabia hosting the event for the eighth time. Dakar has opened every W2RC season since the championship was established in 2022 and will retain that role in 2027.
The championship then stays in the Middle East, but teams will have more than two months before competition resumes.
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge follows from 21–26 March as round two. The 36th edition keeps one of rally-raid’s longest-established events near the beginning of the season and creates a logical geographical sequence after Dakar without forcing teams immediately back into competition.
That additional recovery period is particularly relevant after two weeks of Dakar, where damaged machinery, component mileage and the logistical demands of the event can shape preparations long after the final stage has finished.
South African Safari Rally Returns
The first major change comes in June.
The South African Safari Rally returns from 14–19 June for its second edition after alternating with Argentina’s Desafío Ruta 40 YPF.
South Africa made its W2RC debut in 2025 and adds a markedly different challenge to the desert terrain of the opening two rounds. Its return also gives Africa two events on the five-round calendar alongside Morocco.
There will be roughly seven weeks between Abu Dhabi and South Africa, creating another substantial preparation window before the championship moves into its second phase.
Portugal Retains Its Place in W2RC
After South Africa, the longest break of the season begins.
The bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal will take place from 21–26 September, approximately three months after the South African round.
Portugal enters its fourth consecutive season on the W2RC calendar and remains the championship’s sole European event.
Its character also provides an important change of terrain. The faster tracks and more compact European environment contrast sharply with the open desert stages that remain central to Dakar, Abu Dhabi and Morocco.
After four consecutive appearances, Portugal is no longer simply an addition to the championship. It has established a regular place within the W2RC season.
Morocco Retains the Season Finale
The 2027 championship will conclude with the Rallye OLA Energie du Maroc from 24–29 October.
Its 28th edition arrives approximately four weeks after Portugal, providing the shortest turnaround between any two rounds on the calendar.
Morocco’s position is familiar. The event has become an established closing test for the championship, combining demanding navigation and desert terrain with the additional pressure of deciding the season’s final points.
It also creates a clean end to the campaign.
With W2RC finishing in late October, teams will have approximately two months before preparations intensify for the next Dakar in January 2028.
Why the 2027 W2RC Calendar Has a Different Rhythm
The most notable aspect of the calendar is not the identity of its five rallies. It is the distance between them.
The opening Middle Eastern leg keeps Dakar and Abu Dhabi within the same region while providing more than two months between the events. Another seven-week window separates Abu Dhabi and South Africa, followed by approximately three months before Portugal.
Only the final Portugal-Morocco leg operates on a relatively compact turnaround.
For factory programmes and private teams alike, that spacing has practical value. Rally-raid places exceptional demands on machinery, personnel and freight, while many manufacturers and competitors operate across several championships simultaneously.
A five-round calendar with longer intervals gives teams more time to rebuild cars, manage component lifecycles, organise freight and prepare development packages without reducing the geographical variety of the championship.
The result is a compact calendar on paper, but a season spread across almost 10 months.
2027 FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship Calendar
Round Event Dates
1 Dakar Rally 1–15 January
2 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 21–26 March
3 South African Safari Rally 14–19 June
4 bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal 21–26 September
5 Rallye OLA Energie du Maroc 24–29 October
Before attention turns fully towards 2027, the current championship still has unfinished business.
The remaining 2026 campaign includes the Rallye OLA Energie du Maroc from 28 September–3 October, followed by the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge from 22–27 November. Those two rounds will settle the current title before Dakar resets the championship in January.
