Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge reveals epic 1,931km journey from Al Ain to Al Sila’ and back

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will mark its 35th edition with one of the most ambitious journeys in its history, carrying the world’s leading rally raid competitors on a 1,931 kilometre crossing of Abu Dhabi from Al Ain to the shores of the Arabian Gulf and back.

Taking place from November 22 to 27, the radically revised route will include 1,326 kilometres of timed special stages and provide the final test of the 2026 FIA and FIM World Rally Raid Championships, with world titles to be settled across five days of competition.

But numbers alone barely tell the story of the journey ahead.

From the historic oasis city of Al Ain, the rally will sweep west across the emirate and deep into Al Dhafra, passing through Madinat Zayed before reaching Al Sila’ on the Arabian Gulf. From there, competitors will turn inland again, journeying back through Madinat Zayed and the mighty dunes of Liwa before completing the crossing where it began, in Al Ain.

Over five competitive days, the character of the landscape will change around them.

The towering dunes that have helped forge the reputation of the Desert Challenge remain at its heart, but the 2026 itinerary will also introduce faster desert tracks, rocky landscapes, hard packed surfaces and sections where precision and accurate navigation will be every bit as important as outright speed.

It is a route designed not simply to cover more ground, but to reveal a different Abu Dhabi as it unfolds.

For the first time, the Desert Challenge will venture as far west as Al Sila’, opening another chapter in the event’s long relationship with Al Dhafra and carrying international rally raid into landscapes and communities rarely seen through the lens of world championship motorsport.

The expansion has been made possible through the continued support of the Ruler’s Representative Court in Al Dhafra Region and the close cooperation of Al Dhafra Municipality, whose collaboration with organisers Emirates Motorsports Organization has been instrumental in developing the new itinerary.

One of the defining moments of the new route will come on Tuesday November 24, when Stage 2 carries competitors west from Madinat Zayed to Al Sila’.

The 330 kilometre timed special stage will lead the field through unfamiliar terrain with an increased emphasis on navigation before the desert finally gives way to the coast.

Waiting at the end is one of the most striking settings ever introduced to the Desert Challenge: a Marathon Camp overlooking the Arabian Gulf.

For one night, the rally will trade its familiar horizon of immense dunes for the sea.

Cars and motorcycle riders will gather at Al Sila’ in a deliberately simple Marathon Camp environment, with the relative simplicity of the overnight arrangements adding another test of endurance and self sufficiency before competitors turn inland again the following morning.

The juxtaposition is unmistakably Abu Dhabi: a World Championship field travelling from oasis to open desert, from towering dunes to the western coastline, all within the same extraordinary journey.

The arrival of the rally in the Al Sila’ area will also draw attention to one of the region’s most remarkable natural and cultural landmarks.

The historic Shabhana tree, an ancient ghaf estimated to be more than 200 years old, has long been associated with the journeys of Bedouin travellers crossing the desert, offering shelter and a familiar point of reference in an otherwise demanding landscape.

Its importance was recognised by the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who directed that a plantation be established around the tree to protect and preserve it.

Today, the surrounding Shabhana Forest extends across approximately 301 hectares, preserving a landmark that has become a powerful symbol of authenticity, resilience and the enduring relationship between the people of the UAE and their environment.

Its significance was further recognised earlier this year when Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan named a new residential development in Al Sila’ after Al Shabhana.

For the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, its first journey into this part of the emirate provides more than a spectacular new backdrop. It allows an international sporting event built around navigation, endurance and crossing difficult terrain to pass through a landscape where those same qualities have carried meaning for generations.

Saeed Al Dhaheri, Al Ain and Al Dhafra Regional Development Department Director at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said: “The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge has an extraordinary ability to show the world parts of the emirate that many international audiences may never have seen before, and this year’s route takes that opportunity even further.

“The journey begins amid the heritage and oasis landscapes of Al Ain, crosses the vast desert of Al Dhafra and reaches the Arabian Gulf at Al Sila’ before turning inland again. Within a single sporting event, audiences will see dramatically different landscapes, destinations and communities, each revealing another side of Abu Dhabi.

“That sense of discovery is an important part of experiencing the emirate. The Desert Challenge brings together world class sport and a remarkable journey through place, history and nature, allowing Abu Dhabi itself to become part of the story unfolding around the competition.”

The journey to Al Sila’ will give the Desert Challenge an opportunity to connect its sporting spectacle with a part of Abu Dhabi that has rarely featured on the international rally raid stage. For competitors accustomed to the vast dunes of Liwa, the westward push into Al Dhafra will introduce unfamiliar landscapes and a new dimension to an event that has spent more than three decades exploring the emirate's desert.

On this occasion, Al Dhafra Region Municipality highlighted that the desert rally has been closely associated with the Al Dhafra region for decades, and that its continued development creates new opportunities to showcase the region’s exceptional natural and cultural heritage to the world.

The Municipality emphasised: “This year, the rally route extends westwards to reach Al Sila, taking an elite field of international competitors through areas of profound cultural and historical significance to the people of Al Dhafra. These locations reflect an authentic aspect of the region’s identity and rich heritage.”

It further noted: “Historical landmarks, foremost among them the Ghaf tree known as ‘Al Shabhanah’, embody the memories of generations of the region’s people who travelled across these lands long before the advent of modern roads. The tree reflects values of patience, resilience, adaptability and resourcefulness, as well as the deep-rooted relationship between people and the desert. These same values remain strongly present in the nature of the challenges posed by the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.”

The Municipality concluded: “Under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we take great pride in seeing the rally continue its journey of development and growth, while preserving its strong connection to cultural heritage, the natural environment and the local communities that have helped shape its identity and standing over the years.”

The sporting journey begins in earnest on Monday 23 November, when the opening competitive stage takes the rally from Al Ain to Madinat Zayed, the event’s principal bivouac and operational centre.

On Tuesday 24 November, competitors head west from Madinat Zayed to Al Sila’. The 330 kilometre special stage introduces unfamiliar terrain and an increased emphasis on navigation as the rally pushes towards the coast.

After the overnight Marathon Camp at Al Sila’, the field turns back inland on Wednesday 25 November, returning to Madinat Zayed.

The rhythm changes again on Thursday 26 November, when competitors face a loop stage through the spectacular dunes of Liwa, returning the rally to one of the landscapes most closely associated with its formidable reputation.

Then, on Friday 27 November, the final stage carries the field east once more to Al Ain, completing the great crossing and bringing competitors back to the city from which their journey began.

Five days. A route from oasis to desert and coast, then back again. And, throughout it, a competition that refuses to settle into a single rhythm.

Khalid Ben Sulayem, President of the Emirates Motorsports Organization, said: “Even after 35 editions, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge continues to find new places to explore and new ways to challenge the world’s best competitors.

“This year, we wanted to create a genuine crossing of Abu Dhabi. We start in Al Ain, travel right across Al Dhafra to Al Sila’ on the Arabian Gulf, then turn back inland through Madinat Zayed and Liwa before completing the journey again in Al Ain.

“What makes it particularly exciting from a sporting perspective is how often the challenge changes. The competitors will face the immense dunes for which the Desert Challenge is famous, but also faster tracks, rocky terrain, hard packed surfaces and sections where navigation will be critical. The 330 kilometre special to Al Sila’ and the Marathon Camp by the sea add another completely different dimension.

“There is also something very special about taking the rally through landscapes with such a deep history. Shabhana reminds us that people have been crossing this region for generations, reading the landscape and finding their way through an environment that demands respect. Rally raid does that in a completely different age and for a completely different purpose, but that sense of journey, endurance and discovery still resonates.

“And this year, every kilometre matters even more. For the first time, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will bring the FIA and FIM World Rally Raid Championship seasons to their conclusion. After 1,326 kilometres of timed competition, some of the biggest titles in our sport will be decided here in Abu Dhabi.”

The 35th edition represents the latest evolution of an event that has continued to explore new territory while preserving the demanding desert competition that has defined it since its earliest years.

Recent editions have extended the Desert Challenge into Al Dhannah, Mezaira'a and Al Ain. The introduction of Al Sila’ in 2026 carries that evolution another step west, creating a complete journey across the emirate and giving the event a scale and variety fitting for its first World Championship finale.

For those fighting for the 2026 FIA and FIM titles, however, there will be little time simply to admire the view.

Across 1,326 timed kilometres, every dune, track, rocky section and navigation decision will count.

And by the time the survivors return to Al Ain on Friday, the journey across Abu Dhabi will have done more than reveal a new route.

It will have decided the season. The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region. The event is organised by the Emirates Motorsports Organization in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is hosted with the support of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Municipality and Al Dhafra Region Municipality, with Energy Partner ADNOC Distribution and Automotive Partner Al-Futtaim Toyota.

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is also supported in its delivery by the Ministry of Defence and UAE Armed Forces, Abu Dhabi Police, Civil Defence, Abu Dhabi Distribution Co, Tadweer, and media partner Abu Dhabi Sports TV.