DAKAR RALLY
Since 1978, the Dakar Rally has been the ultimate test of endurance, pushing drivers, teams, and machines to their limits across deserts, dunes, and unforgiving terrain. In 2020, the world’s most iconic endurance race made its landmark debut in Saudi Arabia, transforming the Kingdom into a global motorsport stage and showcasing its vast landscapes, rich heritage, and logistical excellence to millions of fans worldwide.
Since joining the project in 2022, SMG has partnered with the Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) to lead PR and communications for the Dakar in Saudi, delivering integrated campaigns across regional, local, and international audiences. The team has managed press offices, produced multilingual content, coordinated international media relations, amplified coverage through social and digital channels, and organized media tours that brought journalists to the Kingdom’s stunning scenery and cultural treasures, including UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Hegra in AlUla and Al-Qaisariah Souq in the historic centre of Al-Koot.
Beyond the landscapes and heritage, SMG has helped tell the stories behind the stories: Saudi women drivers breaking barriers, father-son duos navigating the dunes together, the rally’s local economic impact, and the pride it inspires in communities across the Kingdom. We have also helped highlight the Saudi men and women behind organizing the event, securing media profiles, features, and interviews that showcase their expertise, dedication, and role in bringing the Dakar to life. High-profile media opportunities with rally icons such as Jacky Ickx, Carlos Sainz Sr., and Dakar Rally Director David Castera have also brought these narratives to life globally, reinforcing the Dakar’s unique identity in Saudi Arabia.
Since 2022, SMG has delivered year-on-year growth in global reach and impact, generating millions in publicity value, securing thousands of media features, and arranging over 150 high-profile interviews across dozens of countries. The team continues to evolve the communications strategy, deepening engagement and reinforcing the Dakar Rally as both a world-class motorsport spectacle and a showcase of Saudi Arabia’s landscapes, culture, and people.
RELATED PROJECTS
Since being appointed by the Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) to support the inaugural FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX in 2021, SMG has delivered a fully integrated communications programme positioning the race, Jeddah, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a world-class sporting destination.
