MANAMA — The 2021 Dakar Rally will see teams and competitors return to Saudi Arabia for the second consecutive year. Among them, will be an ambitious new team; Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX) and as the national team of neighboring Bahrain, BRX is eager to showcase the region to the rest of the world. Last year’s edition of the Dakar Rally — while making a strong impression — gave just a small snapshot of all the wonderful yet challenging terrain the region has to offer, said BRX Team Director David Richards. The new route for 2021 — which will see competitors set out from Jeddah in January — promises to be more the most demanding Dakar Rally to date. It is the varied and exciting landscape that make Saudi Arabia the perfect home for the Dakar, according to Richards. “When you think of Dakar you automatically think of adventure, wide-open spaces, crossing inhospitable landscapes and Saudi has all that in multitudes.” “You can go from the mountains to the desert to wonderful landscapes all around the country. What Dakar will do for Saudi Arabia is bring that wonderful adventure, that excitement and that wonderful landscape that is Saudi Arabia to the rest of the world,” said Richards. Richards has been involved in organizing rallies in the Middle East for over 40 years and it is his hope that the Dakar Rally will eventually visit other countries that border Saudi Arabia, opening up the whole region of the Middle East for the world to see. — SG