Yazeed Al Rajhi became the first Saudi driver to win the Dakar Rally in the ultimate class, holding off South African Henk Lategan, who finished second in the car category.

Yazeed Al-Rajhi is set to win the Dakar Rally on home soil in the Saudi desert after retaking the lead from South Africa’s Henk Lategan on Thursday.

Henk Lategan and Yazeed Al-Rajhi will duel in the Saudi sand for their first Dakar Rally title after swapping the lead for a second straight day

Toyota's South African Henk Lategan regained the overall lead in the Dakar Rally on Wednesday with a two minutes and 27 seconds advantage over Saudi Arabia's Yazeed Al-Rajhi going into the penultimate stage.

The 2025 Dakar Rally concluded on Friday, with Saudi Arabia's Yazeed Al Rajhi in cars and Australia's Daniel Sanders in bikes being crowned champions. Lucas Moraes in cars and Michael Docherty in bikes won the 61-kilometer 12th stage in Shubaytah.

Nineteen-year-old Saood Variawa of South Africa became the youngest top-class driver to win a stage in the Dakar Rally.

Local hero Yazeed Al-Rajhi secured his first Dakar title on Friday, finishing the 12-stage rally almost four minutes ahead of his closest competitor Henk Lategan, while Red Bull KTM's Daniel Sanders maintained his lead to win in the motorcycle category.

Associated Press photographer Christophe Ena's images from the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia capture the speed, driving skill and spectacular desert views of one of the world's most breathtaking auto racing events.

Hear from Tosha Schareina, Adrien van Beveren, Sara Price, Mattias Ekstrom, Nasser Al-Attiyah, and many others following Stage 11 of the 2025 Dakar Rally.

Saudi Arabia's Yazeed al-Rajhi made history by becoming the first Saudi driver to win the Dakar Rally. Read More: Al Nassr to Announce a New Contract for Cristiano Ronaldo Al-Rajhi beat South Africa's Henk Lategan in a Toyota by 3m 57s,