"It's the rally of maturity," race director David Castera told reporters. "There's a real level of difficulty, it's a real, tough Dakar, which will push everyone beyond their limits, beyond their comfort zone."

The 47th running of the event may be called the Dakar, but the last time the Senegalese capital actually hosted the finish was way back in 2007 — the security situation in Mauritania forced the 2008 cancellation.

It then moved to South America, until finding a new home in Saudi Arabia in 2020.

The Saudis are spending billions to turn the conservative Arab country into a major sporting hub, as it tries to diversify its economy away from oil.

Aside from the Dakar, the Saudis have invested spectacularly in luring some of the world's top footballers into the Saudi Pro-League.

The kingdom also stages a Formula One Grand Prix in Jeddah, high profile boxing fights, the world's richest horse race, and rocked the world of golf with the launch of the LIV Tour in 2022. The latest scoop for the kingdom was being named host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

AFP