The Rallye des Pharaons (French for "Pharaoh's Rally") is a rally-raid event that takes place in Egypt. Cairo is both the starting and finishing point at the foot of the pyramids of Giza, and covers roughly around 3,100 kilometres (1,900 mi). It is similar in format to the Dakar Rally in that it takes place in desert conditions and cars, trucks, and motorcycles are all permitted to compete.
The Pharaons Rally was born in 1982 from an idea of Jean-Claude Morellet. In 1998 the organization was taken over by JVD, a company managed by Jacky Ickx, Vincenzo Lancia and Daniele Cotto, and the name was changed to Pharaons International Cross Country Rally.
The competition is valid for the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship since 2000 and for the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup since 2005.
Tragedy struck on September 29, 2004, when three-time Dakar Rally winner Richard Sainct was killed when his motorcycle ran off the course. KTM, who Sainct rode for, pulled all other factory racers from the rest of the rally in respect for Sainct.
