For the first and only time, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will be the final race of the World Rally-Raid Championship this year. It was moved from its usual February and March slot, when it came after the Dakar Rally, to late November because of Ramadan but will return to March in 2027.

As the finale, the race will span 1,931 kilometers in total with 1,326 km being Selective Sections. 605 km is for road sections while service trucks will travel 522 km; the latter will consist of 263 km for Stage 1 from the bivoauc in Al Ain to the next in Madinat Zayed, then the 259-km trip back for the final stage.

Straddling the Emirati border with Oman, Al Ain also hosted the start of the 2025 ADDC; its bivouac is located in the city’s municipality office. Madinet Zayed is the largest city in Al Dhafra region, with the bivouac being a local driving school across the street from Western Souk & Mall and the Al Dhafra branch of Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities.

Al-Silaʿ will host the marathon leg for Stages 2 and 3. It is on the opposite side of the country along the UAE–Saudi border.

The Ayla Grand Hotel in Al Ain serves as the rally headquarters.

57% of the race goes through sand, 33% in dunes, and 10% on soil.

Route