Badawï Trail to the Last Oasis 2026 Launches!

Having enjoyed a very positive reception on its inaugural edition in 2023, the Badawï Trail to the Last Oasis returns in 2026, in an expanded version of this transit of the Arabian Peninsula, set to pick up where the last edition left off, enhanced by its established and now, much welcomed presence in the region.

The 2023 debut edition of this Trans-Arabian epic was very well received by the participants, who donned their pioneering caps and headed into the unknown, crossing territory hitherto not visited by an event of this type. However, the “pioneers” were met with spontaneous and abundant enthusiasm, hospitality and cooperation as the event wound its way across the peninsula as the local population became aware of the unique spectacle. This enthusiasm was mirrored by all those who took part in what became a great adventure, despite the route planning being somewhat cautious on this first visit to the region.

The great success of 2023 has opened up the huge potential that the region has to offer, and the 2026 edition will take full advantage of newfound freedoms, delving deeper into the breath-taking landscape, immersing the competitors further into the history and culture and finding new and more exciting territory to explore.

Without wavering from the formula that made 2023 such a success, the 2026 edition will see an evolution of the event, and will this time begin from the city of Jeddah, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for 20 days of rallying that will also visit the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman. Unfortunately, and for obvious reasons, the rally is unable to return to Jordan this time, and after such a warm welcome in 2023 by the inhabitants of Jeddah and the Jeddah International Circuit, this is the perfect place to begin the 2026 adventure.

Saudi Arabia was a mainstay of the inaugural Badawï event, and will remain so this time, with an extended stay of 11 days in the Kingdom, of which more than half is brand new territory for the rally. According to HERO-ERA Competition Director, Guy Woodcock, “there are six days of completely brand-new areas for the rally in 2026, revealing even more of the Kingdom to us, the access to which has been made much easier after the last event. They know what we are about a bit now, whereas last time, I think they perhaps saw us as a little bit eccentric, or a bit of a novelty group.”

The route which the rally will take through these new regions is the responsibility of experienced route planner John Spiller, who was the mastermind behind the first Badawï and knows more than a thing or two about the components of a fabulous endurance event. He is not only a veteran of the first Badawï event, but multiple rallies that sit within the HERO-ERA stable, including route planning on numerous Peking to Paris Motor Challenges, and the recent Sahara Challenge events, all of which are rooted in the kind of terrain that is to be expected during the Badawï Trail to the Last Oasis. The rally will spend 11 days in Saudi Arabia, taking in the diverse scenery, from towering desert dunes to even higher mountains and a route that will dance along the shores of the Red Sea. There will be a visit to Al Ula, with its incredible Nabatean history that fascinated the competitors in 2023, as well as stopovers in cities such as Medinah and the ultra-modern capital of Riyadh.

After leaving the KSA, the rally travels into the UAE at Al Dannah, for a couple of days in the Dunes and mountains of the Abu Dhabi Emirate, before traveling to the Sultanate of Oman, where the event will enjoy an extended stay over the 2023 rally, with five days in total, including a rest day in Muscat. Muscat will in fact act as a sort of staging point for the rally in Oman, offering up the opportunity to run a loop to the south of the city, and push further into this incredible country, with the stunning Hajjar mountains and seemingly endless thrilling roads, including the “climb of climbs” up Jebel Akhdar, its abundant terraced orchards hinting at the more comfortable climate found at altitude.

It is perhaps this part of the rally which Guy Woodcock is looking forward to the most. “Oman will be a real highlight, we only managed a brief experience of it in 2023, but its mountains and roads were breathtaking and clear that it could offer a perfect region for the sort of adventurous rallying that we enjoy, so it’s very exciting to double the amount of time that we have there. The Omani’s are also gearing up to welcome us in just as spectacular style as they did the first time as well.”

There will also be a slightly extended end to the event, with two proper days rallying in the UAE before the finish in the Shadow of the QE2 in Dubai, including an ascent of Jebel Jais that was so popular in ’23, in an area that is effectively John Spillers back yard, where he has countless experience of organising Rally Raid events and knows plenty of exciting territory to bring the event to a close.