Dakar Rally 2025: Yazeed Al-Rajhi Wins; Final Results, Social Media Reaction

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 in style.

Al-Rajhi became the first Saudi Arabian racer to win the event, and he did so on home soil. He said the opportunity to represent his country and win on such a grand stage was an honor.

"I am very very happy," Al-Rajhi said. "We make history now, I am very happy and proud. I have put my country in a good position. People here from this land, we can win Dakar."

He finished with a time of 52:52:15, which was 3:17 faster than the second-place finisher, Henk Lategan of South Africa. His previous best finish was third place in 2022 and he led the field in the 2024 competition before a late accident ended his run.

This was his 11th entry into the Dakar Rally and he now adds some serious hardware to his collection.