Hail, January 01, 2022, SPA -- The 3rd edition of the Saudi Dakar Rally 2022 was officially opened today, in the presence of Prince Abdulaziz bin Saad bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Hail Region, and Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Hail Region, which was held at Al Maghwah Amusement Park here, before the launch of the official race tomorrow, which will last for 14 days, during which the contestants will cross 12 different stages, across the Kingdom’s governorates, cities, and regions. The ceremony, which was also attended by Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, the Saudi Motorsport Company, Deputy Minister of Sports Badr Al-Qadi, Assistant Minister of Sports Abdulelah Al-Dallak, and President of the International Automobile Federation Mohammed bin Sulayem, saw the official registration of the vehicles participating in the six categories of the race (cars, motorcycles, quad bikes, trucks, and light desert vehicles, and the "Dakar Classic" category). The 44th edition of the Saudi Dakar Rally 2022 has attracted more than 650 participants representing 70 nationalities from around the world, making it the largest edition in terms of participation in the rally’s history. --SPA 21:47 LOCAL TIME 18:47 GMT 0023 www.spa.gov.sa/w1672645