Tickets for the sixth Icons of Porsche festival went on sale on 2 October. The festival, which Porsche describes as the largest automotive festival in the region, is scheduled for 21 and 22 November at a new venue, The Square Nad Al Sheba in Dubai. Its opening weekend begins the busiest stretch of the Gulf’s motoring year.
Most of the region’s big motoring events fall between November and March, when temperatures are lower. Over the next six months they include the last two Formula 1 races of 2026, in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, the Dakar Rally across Saudi Arabia in January, and the start of the 2027 Formula 1 season in Bahrain and Jeddah in March.
This diary sets out the dates in order, with notes on venues and tickets, for readers who plan their winter around cars.
Icons of Porsche, Dubai: 21 to 22 November
Porsche Middle East and Africa organises the festival, which brings classic and modern sports cars together with art and culture. Last year’s edition drew more than 30,000 visitors and showed more than 1,000 sports cars. This year it moves to The Square Nad Al Sheba.
Dr Manfred Bräunl, CEO of Porsche Middle East and Africa, said that "Icons of Porsche has grown into the largest automotive festival in the region", and that "this Icons of Porsche festival will be the best one yet".
Tickets are sold at IconsOfPorsche.com. Prices were not listed in Porsche’s announcement. Children under 12 can register for free tickets when accompanied by an adult with a ticket. Porsche says more details of the programme will follow in the coming weeks, so it is worth checking the site again before the weekend.
Formula 1’s finale: Lusail and Yas Marina
The weekend after Icons of Porsche, Formula 1 arrives for the last two rounds of its 2026 season, on consecutive weekends:
- Qatar Grand Prix, Lusail International Circuit: 27 to 29 November
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit, the season finale: 4 to 6 December
Lusail, north of Doha, runs its race at night. At Yas Marina, on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, the race starts in daylight and ends under floodlights. Neither is a Sprint weekend this year, so both follow the standard format, with practice on Friday, qualifying on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday. A separate BYGEARS guide to Formula 1 in the Gulf sets out both races, and every Gulf date for 2027, in more detail.
The Dakar Rally: 1 to 15 January
The 49th Dakar Rally is scheduled to run from 1 to 15 January 2027 in Saudi Arabia, which has hosted the event every January since 2020. It is due to start and finish at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), about 100 kilometres north of Jeddah, with the rest day in Bisha.
The route, announced in May, is the longest of the Saudi era. It covers 8,390 kilometres in total, of which 5,320 are timed special stages, the competitive sections raced against the clock. It includes three new stages around the Red Sea region, more sand and two marathon stages, in which crews spend the night without help from their support teams and must make their own repairs.
Sven Quandt, team principal of the X-raid team, said of the route: "This is going to be a very long Dakar. Durability and consistency will play an even greater role."
The Dakar Classic, for historic vehicles, runs alongside the main rally for a seventh edition, under revised regulations. For readers who love older cars, it is the part of the Dakar that most resembles a moving museum. Anyone hoping to watch the start or finish at KAEC should check the organiser’s website, dakar.com, for details of public access closer to the date.
Between the big dates
The weeks between the Dakar and the new Formula 1 season are a good moment to drive a circuit rather than watch one. Away from race weekends, both Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain International Circuit run track days and driving experiences for the public. Programmes and prices change through the season, so check the circuits’ own websites for current dates.
Formula 1 returns: February and March
The 2027 Formula 1 season begins in the Gulf. Teams are due at Bahrain International Circuit for pre-season testing from 24 to 27 February. The championship then opens with the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sakhir, 12 to 14 March, a Sprint weekend with a shorter extra race on the Saturday. A week later comes the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, 19 to 21 March.
March should also bring a first for Saudi Arabia’s own car industry. Ceer unveiled its first cars, the Exobot electric sedan and SUV, in September. According to Semafor, sales are due to start in early 2027, with the first customer deliveries expected in March.
The season at a glance
- Icons of Porsche, The Square Nad Al Sheba, Dubai: 21 to 22 November
- Qatar Grand Prix, Lusail: 27 to 29 November
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina: 4 to 6 December
- Dakar Rally and Dakar Classic, Saudi Arabia, starting and finishing at KAEC: 1 to 15 January
- Formula 1 pre-season testing, Bahrain International Circuit: 24 to 27 February
- Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir: 12 to 14 March
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Jeddah: 19 to 21 March
All dates are as announced and may change, so check each event’s official website before booking travel. Between November and March, a car lover in the Gulf can go from a festival of Porsches to a Formula 1 finale and the Dakar without leaving the region.
Sources: Porsche Newsroom, Formula 1, McLaren, X-raid, Arab News, Semafor