UAE Offroaders gather to welcome the new season

Abu Dhabi - One of the oldest and largest in the country, UAE Offroaders was established in 2009 by six Emirati men and one New Zealander to teach people how to drive in the desert.

Hundreds gathered at the desert of Al Khatem to welcome the new offroading season. They came from Abu Dhabi, from Dubai and from Al Ain, even as far as from Ras Al Khaimah, to celebrate their club's most important event of the year: the seventh anniversary and opening season party!
One of the oldest and largest in the country, UAE Offroaders was established in 2009 by six Emirati men and one New Zealander to teach people how to drive in the desert.
"The six Emiratis were already offroading. One day we found John Crofts, who was with his family, stuck in the desert. We helped him out and we became friends. Then, we thought since we share the same hobby, why not form a club, where anyone who has the same passion or would like to learn off roading could join," said Amro Al Tamimi, one of the seven founders.
"People here often drive up and down the same big dune, ending up in accidents. We wanted to show the techniques of proper offroading, using proper safety precautions in an environment that respects one another and respects the desert."
"We now have members from all over the world, from Pakistan to the US, Germany and Romania and we are all one family, all brought together by the beauty of UAE desert, which is a piece of art that can only be deeply admired from deep within," he added.
The club is free of charge and is open to anyone who has a four-wheel drive vehicle and wishes to enjoy the UAE landscapes from a different perspective. By now, it has attracted over 2,000 members.
"Offroading is addictive. The hard core drivers never stop, not during Ramadan, not even when it is 50 degrees outside. But for many, the season for offroading starts now, when the weather is nicer, the sand is less soft and we can also enjoy open fire, barbeques and camping during our trips," said Al Tamimi.
"So this last weekend, we gathered at a safari camp in Al Khatem to celebrate the 2016/2017 opening season, which also coincided with our club's seventh anniversary".
Toyotas, Nissans, Jeeps, Fords, they all met on the edge of the desert between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, where several convoys were set up and safety briefs were held for the drivers before they all went on their offroading adventure.
A couple of hours later during  sunset, the convoys began arriving at the safari camp. Some came down from steep crest of high dunes, the others gently cruised through the valleys of soft sand.
"As always, it was an amazing trip, full of adrenaline and challenges. We went at a fast pace, climbing and descending high dunes at very tricky angles, which required a lot of skill, experience and full control of your vehicle," explained Cristina Hutt.
Once at the camp, the offroaders were surprised by a full evening programme, which included a quiz, raffle draws, speeches, certificates of recognition and a video highlighting the peaks of their passion.
silvia@khaleejtimes.com 
 

• UAE