It was a historic day for Saudi Arabia motor racing. Saudi Arabian racer Yazeed Al-Rajhi won the 2025 Dakar Rally on Friday, capping off the two-week event

Yazeed Al-Rajhi has become the first Saudi to win the Dakar Rally after completing the race on home sand in Shubaytah.

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.

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.

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 Wednesday. South Africa's Lategan leads his Saudi rival by 2 1/2 minutes going into the 11th and penultimate stage in the Empty Quarter dunes.

Yazeed al-Rajhi made history on Friday by becoming the first driver from host nation Saudi Arabia to win the Dakar Rally. The Overdrive pilot held onto his overnight lead to beat South Africa's Henk Lategan in a Toyota by 3min 57sec with Mattias Ekstrom of Sweden third in his Ford,

Rajhi becomes the first driver to win on home soil since Pierre Lartigue won the Paris to Dakar to Paris rally in 1994.

Dakar Rally has concluded after 14 gruelling days and nearly 8,000km. Toyota privateer Yazeeh Al-Rajhi emerged as a surprise winner in the cars class, becoming the very first Saudi Arabian driver to win the Dakar Rally,