The fifth edition of the famous race to be held in the Kingdom runs until Jan. 19 RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s sports minister and the head of the Saudi motorsport federation have welcomed drivers and teams ahead of the Dakar Rally, which starts on Friday. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The fifth edition of the famous race to be held in the Kingdom runs until Jan. 19, with nearly 800 drivers and riders representing 72 countries taking on the grueling 7,800-km course. “With the beginning of the new year, we continue to host the most important and largest global sports events in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, thanks to the great interest and support from the leadership of this great nation and the generous support of the crown prince to the sports sector in general,” Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, president of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, also welcomed the drivers and expressed his pride in the continuous hosting of the rally in the Kingdom, which he said reflected the great attention the Saudi leadership gives to the sports sector. France will have the highest representation with 163 participants, followed by Spain with 119 participants, and Italy with 72 participants in all rally categories. Additionally, 135 participants will compete for the first time and the race will also feature 46 women, including 34 in the Dakar Classic category. The rally consists of 12 stages and one preliminary stage, all spanning 15 days. After the start in AlUla, drivers and riders will pass through many cities in the Kingdom, including Riyadh, Hail and Al-Hofuf.