With the Dakar Rally set for its fifth run in Saudi Arabia, the Africa Eco Race continues to fill the void left on the legendary route from Europe to the Senegalese capital of Dakar. 122 entrants comprise the field for the 2024 AER, spread across five divisions and sixteen classes.
Philippe Gosselin and Štefan Svitko are at the 2024 Dakar Rally and will not defend their victories in the Car and Bike classes, respectively, though Tomáš Tomeček is back and seeking his third Truck win. Various Dakar regulars have also opted for the AER such as Feryn Dakar Sport, who was barred from running the 2023 Dakar after failing FIA pre-race scrutineering, and 2023 rookie Rubén Saldaña Goñi, who opted to continue working as a ghost rider for Nicola Dutto. Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, the former chairman of Nestlé and Formula One Group, and his brother Andres are racing Mitsubishis after previously entering the 2023 Dakar Classic.
Dutto, the first paraplegic rider to complete the AER in 2020, returns to the race two months after conquering the legendary Baja 1000. His team for both Baja and the AER include Goñi and Julián Villarrubia Garcia.
Amine Echiguer, the 2022 World Rally-Raid Champion in the Rally3 category, is set for his first Africa Eco Race. Marco Aurelio Fontana is also a newcomer to the race, coming over from the cross-country cycling world
Yoshimasa Sugawara enters his first AER since 2020. He holds the record for the most Dakar Rallies started with thirty-six form 1983 to 2019, mainly in a truck before switching to an SSV for his AER début. For 2024, he will race a Suzuki JB64 Jimny.
The AER, being an independent event, often features marques that one won’t see at the Dakar or other World Rally-Raid Championship events. For example, Yamaha—who shuttered their W2RC programme in 2022—is present with the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team and the Ténéré World Raid Team, the latter for non-competitive riders hoping to just get the rally experience via the Ténéré Spirit Experience created last year. Yamaha’s Pol Tarrés and Alessandro Botturi finished 1–2 among bikes with an engine displacement over 700cc at the 2022 AER.
“We are ready for the Africa Eco Race,” said team manager Marc Bourgeois. “It is the longest and toughest race on our calendar. The terrain is some of the most challenging in the world, and this rally is the ultimate test of bike and rider. It is where the Ténéré was born, and it is something extraordinary to return there with the team and back to the bike’s spiritual roots.”
Harley-Davidson will field the Pan America 1250 for Joan Pedrero; although Pedrero and the team successfully completed the FIM Bajas World Cup’s Baja Aragón in 2022, the bike is too large and powerful to meet the sanctioning body’s standards. Aprilia makes their return to international rally raid with the Aprilia GCorse factory team created last January.
On four wheels, Apache Automotive will field two of their hybrid APH-01 cars for FIM Motocross World Championship veteran Gautier Paulin and World Rally Championship driver Pierre-Louis Loubet. Both are new to rally raid, as is their team to an extent as Apache enters their second ever race.
Besides the competitive categories, the race also offers Raid divisions for those in non-compliant vehicles or not looking to contend for the win.
The Africa Eco Race began in Monaco on 30 December 2024 and will conclude in Dakar on 14 January.
Auto/Truck
| Number | Driver | Co-Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Category |
| 200 | Imre Varga | Toma József | Varga Racing Team | Toyota | T1 |
| 204 | Bernard Andriuex | Jean-Pierre Armandet | TTP | Nissan | Open |
| 205 | Stefano Rossi | Jacopo Casini | Rossi 4×4 ASD | Nissan | Experimental |
| 206 | Willem Alexander Telle | Servaas Van Herk | WUTA Rallysport | Toyota | Open |
| 207 | Teun Stam | René Bargeman | Schijf Rally | Toyota | T1 |
| 208 | Yoshimasa Sugawara | Naoko Roquet | Equipe Sugawara | Suzuki | Open |
| 209 | Eric Coquide | Gregoire Coquide | Renault Trucks Rallye Raid | Nissan | Open |
| 210 | Pascal Feryn | Kurt Keysers | Feryn Dakar Sport | Toyota | T1 |
| 220 | Koen Wauters | Kris Van der Steen | Feryn Dakar Sport | Toyota | SSV |
| 250 | Eric Schiano | Camile Pourchier | Harmat Team Racing | Polaris | T3 |
| 252 | Rui Oliveira | Bernardo Oliveira | Old Friends Rally Team | Can-Am | T4 |
| 253 | Heathcliff Zingraf | Gregory Revest | Casteu Trophy | Can-Am | SSV |
| 254 | Frederic Henricy | Eric Bersey | AT4R | Polaris | SSV |
| 255 | Philippe Champigne | Bruno Robin | Team Adventure 79 | Can-Am | T4 |
| 256 | Carlos Vento | Carlos Ruiz Moreno | Old Friends Rally Team | Can-Am | T3 |
| 257 | Jorge Brandao | Ricardo Sousa | Old Friends Rally Team | Can-Am | T4 |
| 259 | Souad Mouktadiri | Frederic Villers d’Arbouet | Souad | Can-Am | T3 |
| 260 | Gautier Paulin | Rémi Boulanger | Apache Automotive | Apache | T3 |
| 261 | Pierre-Louis Loubet | François Borsotto | Apache Automotive | Apache | T3 |
| 400 | Tomáš Tomeček | Promet Czechoslovak Group Team | Tatra | T5 | |
| 401 | Aad Van Velsen | Michel Van Velsen, Marco Siemons | Van Velsen Rally Sport | Scania | T5 |
| 403 | Cédric Feryn | Bjorn Burgelman, Tom De Leeuw | Feryn Dakar Sport | GINAF | T5 |
| 409 | Franck Coquide | Jean-François Delaval, Daniel Penkalla | Renault Trucks Rallye Raid | Renault | T5 |
| 433 | Antonio Cabini | Carlo Cabini, Raffaella Cabini | Orobica Raid | Mercedes-Benz | T5 |
| 435 | Giulio Verzeletti | Giuseppa Fortuna | Orobica Raid | Mercedes-Benz | T5 |
Classic
| Number | Driver | Co-Driver | Team | Manufacturer |
| 280 | Eric Claeys | Tom Claeys | Claeyson | Toyota |
| 281 | Jean-Michel Boyer | Martin Theriez | McQueen | Porsche |
| 282 | Markus Bodzenta | Ewald Holler | Hekla Competition | Volvo |
| 283 | Peter Brabeck-Letmathe | Jean-Michel Gayte | Casteu Trophy | Mitsubishi |
| 284 | Andres Brabeck-Letmathe | Laurent Magat | Casteu Trophy | Mitsubishi |
| 285 | Rene Declercq | John Demeester | Claeyson | Can-Am |
Raid Auto/Truck
| Number | Driver | Co-Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Category |
| 351 | Amaury le Roux | Caroline le Roux | MPS Outillage | Ford | Auto |
| 352 | Bertrand Lessard | Jacques Pele | Lessard/Pele | Toyota | Auto |
| 353 | Anne Doux | Diane Doux | Doux n’ Doux | Toyota | Auto |
| 354 | Cristina Boffetta | Andrea Bonardi | Bisiach | Land Rover | Auto |
| 355 | Szalay Balázs | Daniel Mezei, ADAm Vagra | Budapest Dakar Raid Team | Mitsubishi | Auto |
| 356 | László Bunkoczi | Soma Bunkoczi, Ákos Szentkuti | Budapest Dakar Raid Team | Isuzu | Auto |
| 360 | Mauel Egginger | Tobias Böhmig | Porsche Zentrum Inntal | Porsche | Auto |
| 361 | Werner Ehrentraut | Svetlana Morel | EO163 | Porsche | Auto |
| 362 | Andreas Sculz | Detlef Ruf | Porsche Zentrum Inntal | Porsche | Auto |
| 363 | Fatmir Langmeier | Dominic Langmeier | Fatmir Langmeier | Porsche | Auto |
| 364 | Christian Hoellwarth | Vincent Hoellwarth | Christian Hoellwarth | Porsche | Auto |
| 365 | Reinhold Riemensperger | Dietmar Henke | EO163 | Porsche | Auto |
| 366 | David van Doren | Alexander Peeters | Feryn Dakar Team | Toyota | Auto |
| 370 | Bruno Bisiach | Paolo Bisiach | Bisiach | IVECO | Truck |
Moto
| Number | Rider | Team | Bike | Class |
| 103 | Alessandro Botturi | Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team | Yamaha | 700cc |
| 105 | Joan Pedrero | Harley-Davidson | Harley-Davidson | 1000cc |
| 107 | Stefano Chiussi | Offroad Crew | Husqvarna | Over 450cc |
| 111 | Jacopo Cerutti | Aprilia Racing GCorse | Aprilia | 700cc |
| 113 | Pol Tarrés | Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team | Yamaha | 700cc |
| 114 | Alessandro Ruoso | Twinsbike Racing Team | Yamaha | 700cc |
| 115 | Angelo Tazzari | Twinsbike Racing Team | Yamaha | 700cc |
| 119 | Pietro Peila Ugo Domenico | Offroad Crew | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 120 | Nicolas Bottu | United We Trace | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 122 | Francesco Montanari | Aprilia Racing GCorse | Aprilia | 700cc |
| 123 | Robert Van Olst | Wood BV | Husqvarna | Under 450cc |
| 124 | Nicolas Charlier | Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team | Yamaha | 700cc |
| 125 | Guillaume Borne | Casteu Trophy | Husqvarna | Under 450cc |
| 127 | Giovanni Stigliano | JBRally | Husqvarna | Over 450cc |
| 128 | Nicola Quinto | Jacque de Molay | Husqvarna | Under 450cc |
| 131 | Alexandre Vaudan | Casteu Trophy | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 133 | Andrea Gava | NSM Racing Team | Beta | Over 450cc |
| 134 | Thierry Costard | LDZ56 | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 135 | Bruno Arcuri | Orobica Raid | Honda | Under 450cc |
| 136 | Attilo Fert | France Road Book | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 137 | Nicola Dutto | Offroad Crew | KTM | Over 450cc |
| 138 | Julián Villarrubia Garcia | Offroad Crew | KTM | Over 450cc |
| 139 | Rubén Saldaña Goñi | Offroad Crew | KTM | Over 450cc |
| 140 | Antoine Detourbet | Antoine Detourbet | Husqvarna | Under 450cc |
| 141 | Alessandro Rigoni | Solarys Racing | Husqvarna | Under 450cc |
| 142 | Francesco Tognato | Team ICE | Husqvarna | Under 450cc |
| 143 | Kevin Durand | RS Moto | Honda | Under 450cc |
| 144 | Marco Aurelio Fontana | RS Moto | Honda | Under 450cc |
| 145 | Nuno Silva | Old Friends Rally Team | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 146 | Jan Hendrik Erbach | Solarys Racing | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 148 | Patrick Carillon | SARL Hôtel des Sources | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 157 | Vanessa Ruck | The Girl On A Bike | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 163 | Paolo Caprioni | Team Kapriony | Ducati | 1000cc |
| 165 | Rafael Gomez Cuesta | Offroad Crew | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 171 | Massimiliano Guerrini | Solarys Racing | Husqvarna | Under 450cc |
| 174 | Francesco Muratori | NSM Racing Team | Beta | Under 450cc |
| 177 | Ai Tanaka | AI78 | Husqvarna | Over 450cc |
| 178 | Gunter Schmutz | Malle Moto | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 179 | Pierpaolo Vivaldi | Twinsbike Racing Team | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 181 | Marco Menichini | Solarys Racing | Husqvarna | Under 450cc |
| 185 | Jochaim Hellstein | A4pluss | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 186 | Richard Skarpaas | A4pluss | KTM | Under 450cc |
| 190 | Francesco Puocci | Team Puocci | KTM | Open |
| 193 | Giovanni Gritti | RS Moto | Honda | Under 450cc |
| 195 | Timothy Bradshaw | Moto Joe | Husqvarna | Open |
| 196 | Amine Echiguer | Amine Echiguer | KTM | Over 450cc |
| 199 | Laurent Hellemans | Hellau | Yamaha | Quad |
Raid Moto
| Number | Rider | Team | Bike |
| 300 | David Frétigné | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 301 | Gemme Martinez Frétigné | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 302 | Aleandre Scelles | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 303 | Fabrice Surget | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 304 | Daniel Azzoug | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 305 | Patrick Morisseau | Ténéré World Raid Team | Yamaha |
| 306 | Gregory Augustin | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 307 | Jerome Calvar | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 308 | Nicolas Queney | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 309 | Michael Gaume | Gaume | Fantic |
| 310 | Frédéric Miñana | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 311 | Jean-François Laur | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 312 | Dominique Leoni | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 313 | Xavier Garay | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 314 | Fabienne Cavelius | Cavelius | KTM |
| 315 | Silvano Calderone | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 316 | Jean-Louis Gros | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 318 | Francis Wenger | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 319 | Romain Loriot | Loriot Kilomètre engagé | KTM |
| 320 | Benoit Beaufour | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 321 | Maxime Legrand | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 322 | Marc Legrand | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 323 | Vincent Plas | Vincent Plas | AJP |
| 324 | Nicolas Borrat | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |
| 325 | Cedric Padilla | Honda Raid Experience | Honda |
| 326 | Alain Biard | Team Concept Adventure | KTM |
| 327 | Stéphane Henry | Team OLR | Husqvarna |
| 328 | François Barrois | Honda Raid Experience | Honda |
| 329 | Michael Gros | Ténéré World Raid Team | Yamaha |
| 330 | Julie Carre | Raid Africa Twin Xperience | Honda |