The decision to move the Dakar to Saudi Arabia ended more than a decade of South American editions. The contract with Saudi Arabia was signed for a minimum of five years. Organisers acknowledged some internal hesitation about hosting in a country subject to international scrutiny over human rights and its involvement in the war in Yemen.
The route ran north from Jeddah along the Red Sea coast, passing through the Red Sea Project development zone and near the ambitious Neom city project, then turning east toward the capital Riyadh. After a rest day, competitors headed south into the Arabian Desert, crossing the vast dunes of the Empty Quarter and reaching as far south-east as Shubaytah in the Eastern Province, before looping back north-west to finish at Qiddiya City near Riyadh.
Several significant regulation changes were introduced for 2020. Road books on six stages were handed out only 15 minutes before the start of the timed sector, a format designed to reduce the advantage of well-resourced factory teams. All unapproved electronic devices had to be locked in sealed compartments during the race to eliminate technology-based cheating.
A new motorcycle "Super Marathon" stage was introduced in which only ten minutes of mechanical work were permitted on the machines. The Dakar Experience classification was introduced to allow retired competitors to re-join in a non-competitive capacity, similar to the Rally 2 classification in the World Rally Championship.
For the first time, all UTVs were consolidated into a single FIA T3 category for lightweight buggies under 900 kilograms with engine capacity below 1,000 cc. Production UTVs were capped at 120 km/h and prototypes at 130 km/h. Top 19 vehicles had cameras installed inside them so organisers could review footage if suspicion of rule violations arose.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz won his fourth Dakar overall in the car category, claiming victory with a third different manufacturer — in this case the new Mini JCW X-Raid buggy. His previous wins had come with Mitsubishi and Volkswagen.
In the motorcycle class, American Ricky Brabec became the first North American rider to win any class at the Dakar Rally. His victory was also Honda's first motorcycle win at the Dakar since 1989, ending an extraordinary run of 18 consecutive wins for KTM. Brabec rode the CRF450 RALLY.
Russian Andrey Karginov took his second Dakar win in the truck category, while Kamaz claimed its 17th manufacturer's title. Chilean rider Ignacio Casale won his third Dakar in the quad category after returning from a brief move into the UTV class in 2019. American Casey Currie won the UTV class, marking the first American victory in that category.
Former Formula One champion Fernando Alonso made his Dakar debut in the car category, attracting widespread attention to the edition.
The official entry list comprised 351 vehicles representing 557 competitors from 53 nationalities. French entrants were the most numerous at 258, followed by Spanish at 77 and Dutch at 53.
The 2020 edition was marred by two fatal accidents.
On 12 January 2020, Portuguese motorcycle rider Paulo Gonçalves suffered a crash 276 kilometres into Stage 7 and went into cardiac arrest following severe trauma to the head, neck, and backbone. Several passing riders stopped to attempt to assist before paramedics arrived, but Gonçalves was declared dead upon reaching hospital. It was his thirteenth Dakar. Following the accident, Stage 8 was cancelled for all motorcycle and quad competitors. Hero Motorsports Team Rally, the team for whom Gonçalves was riding, withdrew its remaining entries from the event.
On 16 January 2020, during Stage 11, Dutch KTM rider Edwin Straver crashed and suffered a fractured cervical vertebra. He had no heartbeat for approximately ten minutes before being resuscitated and transported to hospital in Riyadh. Straver remained in a coma for several days before being transported back to the Netherlands, where he was found to have sustained significant brain damage. His family elected to cease assisted respiration and Straver died on 24 January 2020.
The 2020 Dakar Rally represented a pivotal moment in the event's history, firmly establishing Saudi Arabia as its new home and opening a new competitive era in the Arabian Peninsula. Ricky Brabec's win broke one of motorsport's longest-standing manufacturer winning streaks and signalled the beginning of a new competitive chapter in the rally's motorcycle class.