This Fun Drive, the 31st in the series, once again traverses the
spectacular Liwa region, which is the entry point to the Empty Quarter
or the Rub Al Khali desert. The camp will be located at Tal Moreeb that
boasts one of the highest sand dunes in the world, at an altitude of
about 900 feet (300 metres).
The Fun Drive will start from Mafraq Hotel, where check-in will
begin at 6 am on Friday. The first car will be flagged off at 7.30 am
for the eight-hour drive to reach the Tal Moreeb camp.
The first batch of cars should reach the camp at around 4 pm,
where participants will stay overnight and drive home the next day after
breakfast. There will be no off-road driving on Day 2.
The Gulf News Fun Drive was designed to give people an opportunity to
experience the desert. The first one was held in 1986 and a total of 75
four-wheel drives participated.
In 1989, Gulf News added another dimension to the Fun Drive by
converting it into a two-day event, with an overnight stay in the
desert. Since then, every Overnighter Fun Drive has had 750 cars
participating. In response to an overwhelming demand for more off-road
events, Gulf News now also organises the Friday Fun Drive.
The route is mainly through tricky sand and gravel sections and
will be a test of concentration, endurance, patience, and off-road
driving skills. There are plenty of tricky stretches that are bound to
test the driving prowess of veterans, and also give novices an
opportunity to hone their off-road driving skills.
Abdullah Butti Al Qubaisi, General Manager of the Abu Dhabi
Motors Club (ADMC), said the Gulf News Overnighter Fun Drive is being
held with the support of the Abu Dhabi Motors Club.
"We are pleased that the Gulf News Overnighter Fun Drive has
returned to the Western Region for the second time. We are happy to
support events of this nature which provide people the opportunity to
explore this area, while keeping in mind the environment and rules of
the desert," he said.
Jum Ali Khan is Route Director and Jack Pearce is Convoy Leader.
Project leaders Alan Passmore, Saliya Jayaweera, Gary Wheeler, and Nigel
McReynolds have put in hundreds of hours and thousands of kilometres
driving and testing the fabulous route designed by Jum Ali Khan. Around
65 highly experienced marshals will be present along the route to assist
participants. A team of over 350 Gulf News personnel will man
check-points and take care of organisational details.
IATC will be in charge of vehicle recovery.
- 6am: Check-in begins on January 13 (Friday)
- 750: Number of cars that participate every year
- Vignettes: for 4wd enthusiasts
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/leisure/fun-drive-will-tackle-liwa-terrain-this-year-1.958391