The dakar rally will still continue several more years in Saudi Arabia as provided for in the initial ten-year contract that brought the legendary event to the ultra-conservative kingdom in 2020, said David Castera, race director.
“I am very happy to stay, we still have many deserts to explore and there is enormous potential in the country”, indicated Castera, hours before the end of the 45th edition of the rally raid, in Damman.
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The Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) group, organizer of the event, announced in April 2019 that he had decided to “write a new chapter” of his story “in the mysterious and deep deserts of the Middle East, in Saudi Arabia”. He was then talked to a five-year contract.
Actually, it was a 10 year contractwith a five-year exit clausesays the skipper of the Dakar.
“We will not activate it,” he says now. The Saudis participate in the project and the kingdom constitutes “a country of expression of the Dakar”, he explains without specifying the amount of the contract.
ASO also leaves open the door to other neighboring countries.
After the Sahel and the first edition in 1978 and South America from 2009, the Dakar, the world’s largest rally raid, settled in Saudi Arabia, a decision that It generated controversy due to the kingdom’s shortcomings in terms of human rights.
The Gulf economic powerhouse is regularly accused of practicing sportswashing to improve its image and reputation from sporting events. (D)
Source: Eluniverso
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