The move from South America to Saudi Arabia followed deteriorating relations between the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and South American host governments, culminating in a disputed disqualification during the 2019 edition held in Peru. Saudi Arabia, through its government tourism and events bodies, offered a long-term hosting agreement. The initial contract covered only the first year on an exclusive basis, with plans for expansion to include other Middle Eastern countries in subsequent editions, though the COVID-19 pandemic delayed those ambitions.
The Saudi edition of the Dakar introduced competitors to landscape types unavailable in either Africa or South America. The Rub' al Khali — the Empty Quarter, one of the largest continuous sand deserts in the world at approximately 650,000 square kilometres — provides the centrepiece of many editions' dune stages, with sand dunes rising to 250 metres. The desert's reddish-orange sand, coloured by feldspar, and its extreme aridity create demanding conditions for both navigation and vehicle reliability.
Beyond the Rub' al Khali, stages cross the Hejaz mountain range, rocky lava fields in the Tabuk and Hail regions, salt flats in the central plateau, and coastal approaches to the Red Sea. Individual competitive stages regularly exceed 400 kilometres. Bivouac sites shift each day, covering distances from the starting area near Jeddah or Ha'il through the interior and back. The January timing places the event during Saudi Arabia's cooler winter months, though daytime temperatures remain high and temperature drops at night can be severe at altitude.
The Saudi editions have maintained the rally's tradition of close competition at the front of multiple categories. Nasser Al-Attiyah won the car category in 2019 in Peru and extended his dominance into the Saudi era, becoming the most successful car driver in the event's history. Carlos Sainz, Sébastien Loeb, and other former World Rally Championship figures have competed. In the motorcycle category, the end of KTM's eighteen-year winning streak from 2001 to 2019 coincided with the Saudi transition, with Honda and other manufacturers taking victories in the new era.
The truck category has traditionally been dominated by Kamaz of Russia, though other manufacturers including Iveco and Tatra have competed. A new category, Mission 1000, was introduced in 2024 for alternative-power vehicles including electric, hydrogen, and hybrid entries, reflecting the ASO's stated environmental commitments under the "Dakar Future" programme. Each Mission 1000 stage covers approximately 100 kilometres, separate from the main route.
The Saudi Dakar typically runs for around two weeks in January, covering total distances — including liaison and competitive sections — of several thousand kilometres. The format includes a prologue stage, multiple full-day competitive stages, a rest day approximately halfway through the event, and a final ceremonial finish. Cars, motorcycles, trucks, and side-by-side vehicles (UTVs) compete simultaneously but on route variants suited to each class. Quad bikes, which had competed since 2009 as a separate category, were dropped from the programme in 2025 due to declining manufacturer support.