Stage 8 of the 2026 Dakar Rally presents a tough and diverse loop around Wadi Ad Dawasir. After a fast-paced day of transition, competitors are treated to a full rally stage once again, featuring a long special and dramatically changing terrain. This stage serves as a compact summary of everything Saudi Arabia has offered so far in this Dakar and demands both speed and precise navigation.
The total distance of Stage 8 is 721 kilometres, including a 483 kilometre special stage. The day begins with a 120-kilometre liaison from the bivouac in Wadi Ad Dawasir. After the special, competitors face another 118-kilometre liaison returning to the same bivouac. No service route is available for teams today, placing extra emphasis on reliability and smart driving.
Start times and daily schedule
The first bikes leave the bivouac early in the morning at 05:10. Cars and trucks follow from 07:15. The special stage kicks off for the bikes at 07:00 and for the FIA categories at 09:05. Due to the stage length and neutralised sections along the way, finishers are expected well into the evening.
Mixed terrain and high pace
After a fast start, competitors will quickly face several dune belts that interrupt the rhythm. These are followed by rapid sandy tracks running from valley to valley. As the route turns gradually northward, the terrain becomes rockier and the alternation between sand and stone increases.
Between kilometre 111 and 140, the route leads through canyons with several wadi crossings, where the pace varies, and visibility can be limited. More dunes and fast canyon tracks follow, broken up by off-piste sections. In the middle and latter part of the stage, rocky sections become more prominent, with narrow and winding tracks regularly breaking the rhythm. The final kilometres open up again, allowing for very high speeds and demanding full concentration all the way to the finish.
Organisers have marked several caution zones. These include broken dunes with long descents, tricky dune sections with limited visibility, and a designated construction area requiring extra care. The combination of fast sections and technical passages makes this a deceptive and challenging stage.
Stage openers
In the bike category, Luciano Benavides opens the stage, followed by Edgar Canet and Adrien Van Beveren. Riders such as Daniel Sanders, Skyler Howes, Tosha Schareina, and Ricky Brabec also head out early and must blaze the trail through this long and varied special.
Among the cars, Mattias Ekström in the Ford Raptor leads the way, ahead of João Ferreira and Mitch Guthrie. Big names like Toby Price, Lucas Moraes, Sébastien Loeb, Seth Quintero, Carlos Sainz, and Nasser Al Attiyah follow closely behind. The truck category also gets underway relatively early, with drivers like Vaidotas Zala, Ales Loprais, Martin Maci,k and Dutch contenders Kay Huzink and Mitchel van den Brink among the first to tackle the route.
A full rally day in week two
Stage 8 is one of the most complete stages of the second week. The long distance, constant terrain changes and high average speed make this loop around Wadi Ad Dawasir physically and mentally demanding. Those who manage to find the right rhythm and avoid costly mistakes can make a significant step towards a strong overall result in the 2026 Dakar Rally.
