the Paris-Dakar Rally (which became the Dakar Rally following a 2009 move to South America) is relocating again in 2020, to begin and end in Saudi Arabia.

In 2009, the event – now the Dakar Rally – shifted continents to South America, where Argentina became the most frequent start and end point. After 11 years of rallies across Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolivia, the event will undergo a major relocation for the 2020 running, with the deserts of Saudi Arabia now playing host to the world’s most punishing endurance event. The third evolution of the storied rally will begin in Jeddah on January 5, 2020, finishing in Al Qiddiya on January 17 after traversing the “Empty Quarter,” described as “sand as far as the eye can see,” with “dunes over 250 meters (820 feet) high.”

Other changes for 2020 include color-coded road books with clearer marking of hazardous areas, and a rule change that allows those out of the race to continue on — categorized differently and ineligible for a podium finish — in order to gain competition experience.

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2019/06/17/the-dakar-rally-relocates-to-saudi-arabia-for-2020/#comments-block

Thanks Maurice!