Motorsport action heads to the Red Sea coast as the 2026 Jeddah Toyota Baja Rally officially gets under way today, Wednesday, November 11. Serving as the second leg of the national Saudi Toyota Championship Baja series, the four-day event brings top regional off-road drivers and crews to Jeddah’s surrounding desert terrain.

Held under the authority of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and organised by Bakhashab Motorsport in conjunction with official series partner Jameel Motorsport, the rally represents a key milestone in the Kingdom's expanding domestic motorsport and general sporting calendar.

The Jeddah leg of the race follows an intense opening round at the Hail Toyota International Baja Rally, where Qatari veteran racer Nasser Al-Attiyah claimed the overall victory. Saudi fan favourite Yazeed Al-Rajhi secured second place, while trailblazing Red Bull sponsored, Saudi female driver Dania Akeel stood on the podium in third place. The upcoming racing week in Jeddah offer local competitors an opportunity to earn championship points on home soil, all whilst local fans are watching.

Yazeed Al-Rajhi 4

Yazeed Al-Rajhi 2

Previous Saudi Toyota Desert Rally Champ and winner of Dakar Rally, Yazeed Al Rajhi is a Saudi fan favourite

What is the schedule of the 2025 Jeddah Toyota Baja Rally?

The desert rally competition is scheduled to officially begin on Wednesday, November 11.

The racing week will begin with the admin, namely the mandatory mapping introduction to the rally leg, in addition to all administrative procedures taking place at the rally headquarters. These checks include all participating crews completing a competitor registration and submitting their vehicles for technical checks. These checks are done to verify full compliance with the outlined safety and sporting regulations. The opening day of the 2026 Jeddah Toyota Baja Rally will conclude with a mandatory drivers' and team managers' briefing at 8pm, where racing organisers will outline the safety protocols, navigational details, and stage rules for the race.

2026 Jeddah Toyota Baja Rally Lead 1

Thursday, November 12, will see the pre-rally press conference kick off at 11am, bringing the rally's leading drivers and co-drivers before the media. Later that afternoon, crews will cross the ceremonial start ramp to mark the official opening of the event ahead of the timed desert stages.

For those looking to get stuck right into the action, the timed competitive race will begin on Friday, November 13. The opening Special Stage covering a whopping 217 kilometres across challenging sand dunes, tracks and rocky trails outside Jeddah. As the rally is open to various different vehicle types, this part of the rally will see drivers across all auto, quad, and motorcycle categories facing a demanding course, with self navigation along the region's expansive and challenging coastal dunes.

2026 Jeddah Toyota Baja Rally

2026 Jeddah Toyota Baja Rally 5

The decisive second stage takes place on Saturday, November 14. This section of the 2026 Jeddah Toyota Baja Rally will stretch across 104 kilometres of incredibly beautiful, yet oh-so-intense desert terrain. Following post-event technical inspections and stewards' verification, the rally's provisional standings will be finalised ahead of the closing press conference. The prize giving and race standings are slated to take place at 5.30pm, where the evening will culminate with the anticipated prize-giving ceremony that will award the winners and celebrate category champions across the board.

Following the conclusion of action on the Jeddah leg, the championship will continue and head to its third and final round of the season, the Qassim Toyota Baja Rally, which is scheduled to take place from December 2 to 5, 2026.

2026 Jeddah Toyota Baja Rally, from Wednesday, November 11 to Friday November 13, 2026
saudi-championship.com
@samf_gov

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