JEDDAH: The Dakar Village opened on the Jeddah corniche on Thursday ahead of the much-anticipated start of Dakar Saudi Arabia 2020 on 5 January. The three-day motorsport-themed event will host Dakar Saudi Arabia 2020’s opening concert on 4 January, which will feature music performances by local DJs as well as acrobatic shows and circus acts by Kitonb. Drivers competing at the race will also officially present their vehicles to the crowd at Dakar Village. Additional motoring attractions include the Red Bull freestyle motocross show, which will run four times a day. A series of freestyle motocross shows will be performed four times a day as well as a stunt show presented by Red Bull. Children and families can enjoy the activities at the village, with pedal car races, little mechanic stops and virtual reality all contributing to the fun. Discover Dakar, a museum featuring visual and photographic exhibits that showcases the history of the world’s most challenging race throughout its 42 years, will also feature at the village. It will also introduce fans to the desert, terrain, culture and people of Saudi Arabia. There will also be a live DJ performance at Dakar Village as fans gear up for the 13-day adventure that runs until 17 January through more than 7500 kilometers of uncharted desert. The village will also include Discover Dakar, a museum featuring visual and photographic exhibits that showcase the history of the world’s most challenging race throughout its 42 years, while introducing fans to the desert, terrain, culture and people of Saudi Arabia. Dakar Saudi Arabia 2020 runs from Jan. 5 to 17, and will feature pilots from 62 countries, including 47 of whom have taken on the Dakar challenge at least 10 times in their careers. The Kingdom’s desert will also be the stage for the first Dakar venture for 85 competitors.