The 2024 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will start on the same day as the 2023 edition, but is slightly shorter in terms of raceable distance at 1,179 kilometres in Selective Sections compared to last year’s 1,286. However, the Emirates Motorsports Organization is making up for the decreased length in the form of a “revamped format” that inludes a second bivouac and updated route.
723 kilometres in liaison sections are available, boosting the total distance to 2,143. As the race name suggests, 55 percent of the route is in open desert with 35 percent of dunes.
Final technical inspection will take place at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre before the grid heads to the first bivouac in Al Dhannah for the five-km Prologue on 26 February. Al Dhannah is also the site of the opening stage.
The second bivouac is in Mzeer’ah in the Liwa desert. While Liwa already hosts the bulk of the rally, 2024 is the first time that it also has a bivouac. Mzeer’ah will be the start and finish for Stages #3 and #4.
The fifth and final day will take the race back to Abu Dhabi.
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Adrien Van Beveren enter as the defending winners. The ADDC is the second round of the World Rally-Raid Championship.
UPDATE (21 February): Article has been updated to include road sections.
2024 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge route
| Stage | Start | Finish | Selective Sections | Road Sections | Date |
| Prologue | Abu Dhabi | Al Dhannah | 5 km | 14 km | 26 February |
| 1 | Al Dhannah | Al Dhannah | 248 km | 126 km | 27 February |
| 2 | Al Dhannah | Mzeer’ah | 239 km | 88 km | 28 February |
| 3 | Mzeer’ah | Mzeer’ah | 251 km | 163 km | 29 February |
| 4 | Mzeer’ah | Mzeer’ah | 231 km | 114 km | 1 March |
| 5 | Mzeer’ah | Abu Dhabi | 205 km | 218 km | 2 March |
