DAKAR RALLY - SAMF SOCIALS
SMG delivered comprehensive social media management and content creation support for the 2026 Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia, helping SAMF showcase the event, its people and its impact. The objective was to increase awareness and understanding of motorsport in Saudi Arabia while supporting broader Vision 2030 ambitions by highlighting the Kingdom’s landscapes, culture, talent pathways and hospitality to a global audience.
Our social media strategy was built around four key content pillars: Humans of Dakar, Inviting Innovation, The Future Generation and The Saudi Story. These themes guided our content planning and storytelling, allowing us to showcase not only the competition itself but also the people, places and culture that make Dakar unique.
Alongside daily rally updates, results and race coverage, we developed story-led content that connected audiences with the human side of the event. Working across the stages and within the bivouac, our team produced content designed to educate, entertain and inspire while supporting SAMF’s wider communications objectives.
A key focus was Saudi Next Gen, SAMF’s talent development programme designed to prepare the next generation of Saudi rally drivers for the Dakar Rally. Arriving in Saudi Arabia four days before the event officially began, our digital team documented the journeys of five emerging Saudi crews as they undertook intensive training designed to prepare them for future Dakar participation.
By highlighting their development both on social we showcased SAMF’s commitment to building sustainable motorsport pathways and developing future Saudi talent.
One of the most successful content initiatives during the rally was Bivouac Stories, a series designed to uncover unique stories from within the Dakar paddock. Dakar brings together competitors from all backgrounds, nationalities and career paths, creating a wealth of compelling human stories beyond the race results.
Through relationship building and on-the-ground access, our team identified and produced stories that reflected all four content pillars while giving audiences an authentic look inside life at Dakar.
One standout example was the story of La Ch’tit Friterie, the French classic rally car crew competing in vehicle number 759. Driven by Hervé Diers and Alain Brousse, the modified Toyota doubles as a fully functioning mobile chip van. The pair willingly accepted time penalties and carried significant extra weight throughout the rally simply to serve chips to fellow competitors and fans along the route.
The story resonated strongly with audiences and demonstrated the unique characters and experiences that make Dakar unlike any other motorsport event.
Another standout story featured Mathieu Baumel, who returned to Dakar just 11 months after a serious accident that resulted in the amputation of his right leg. Competing once again at the rally, Baumel became the first amputee to win a Dakar stage, creating one of the most inspiring stories of the event.
By telling stories such as Baumel’s, we helped audiences connect with the resilience, determination and human spirit that define Dakar.
To help audiences better understand the rally’s complex route and terrain, our design team developed daily 3D-rendered stage maps. These graphics visualised each stage, key challenges and strategic points throughout the route, making the rally more accessible for fans while adding an immersive visual layer to our coverage.
Combined with multilingual storytelling translated across French, English and Arabic, this approach ensured audiences could follow and engage with the stories of Dakar regardless of language or location.
