Overview
- Ross Branch was docked six minutes for speeding in a neutralized zone, dropping to seventh and confirming 20-year-old Edgar Canet as Stage 1 winner and overall leader in motorcycles.
- In autos, Guillaume De Mévius claimed the stage by 40 seconds over Nasser Al-Attiyah, with several Ford crews easing off late to avoid opening the road on Monday.
- Saudi champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi received a 16-minute sanction for a missed waypoint and speed infringements, severely damaging his early prospects.
- Argentine entries shone across categories, with David Zille winning the Challenger stage, Nicolás Cavigliasso taking third, Luciano Benavides finishing fifth in motos, and Kevin Benavides seventh on his four-wheel debut in Challenger.
- Stage 2 runs from Yanbu to Al‑Ula with a 400 km special expected to punish navigation errors on rocky terrain and heighten the impact of start order.