Photography by Syed Fasiuddin

It’s tough when you are given the choice of spending a day in the office or taking part in the Jeep and Mitsubishi 4x4 Day in Sharqiya Sands. Having the opportunity to choose between driving the new Mitsubishi Outlander, Pajero Sport or a Jeep Wrangler is something that doesn’t happen often. I thought long and hard about the day out… two seconds later, I said yes!

On arrival at Zubair Automotive Group I was determined to take the Jeep Wrangler Sahara, not the most glamorous of the 4WDs on offer but definitely the one that looked the most fun. I couldn’t wait to get to the desert and race around with the other vehicles. The Jeep didn’t look as though it would be very comfortable on the long journey but I knew it would hold its own in the sand.

I have to admit to being wrong, the journey to Sharqiya Sands was great. The Jeep held the road well, was spacious, comfortable and had no trouble keeping up with the convoy. My guide Nasser al Adawi was fabulous throughout, his enthusiasm for the car and all that it could do in the desert increased my excitement to get there quicker.

As we turned off the blacktop road to head for Sama al Wasil camp I switched the car to 4WD and the fun started. Skidding and sliding around on the sand reminded me of driving in the snow back in the UK, just much warmer! The recent rain created an extra element as we splashed through the water and mud. There is nothing better than the feeling experienced when driving in the desert. After the first few moments of warily negotiating the dunes I was encouraged by Nasser to ‘see what the car can do’; the adrenaline really kicked in then.

The Wrangler’s heavy-duty suspension, skid plates and shock absorbers were more than a match for the sand. At one point a fellow driver went airborne with his Jeep, I watched terrified as he hit a lip in the sand and sailed over the top; all four tyres left the ground for what seemed like hours. As we all held our breath, the car bounced back onto the sand and within seconds the driver was at the bottom of the dune grinning from ear to ear.

As the only female driver I had to prove that I could drive in the sand and of course I maintain that I didn’t get stuck purely because I was better, it had nothing to do with the fact that I was less daring! I giggled as the ‘boys and their toys’ raced around the dunes trying to get to bigger and better positions than the last driver; on more than one occasion I have to admit to secretly hoping at least one of them would get stuck! A couple of times my wishes were granted but being stuck in the sand just adds to the fun of a day in the desert. 

It wasn’t long before I found myself at the top of a dune, so high that I could see nothing but sky. I stopped the car to look at the route I had to take. Adrenaline went on overdrive as I looked from the car perched on the edge and the huge drop. One thing about the desert is that it proves the saying ‘what goes up, must come down’. I double-checked the procedure with Nasser as he got out of the car to send me down alone. I thought twice about walking down and sending the car with someone else but I couldn’t let the boys win! 

The car slid slowly over the edge and all I was faced with was a brick wall of sand at the bottom. The low gear allows the car to do all the work but it was so tempting to press the brakes with all the power I could muster. Hearing the cheers from the guys I had left at the top was encouragement enough to continue, and once the car reached the bottom it returned to a less scary angle and I breathed again!

The day ended with a quad bike ride and although I enjoyed driving on the flat sand, I dare not negotiate the dunes without the feeling of safety that the Jeep had given me. Whilst off on the quad, all the cars tyres were inflated and we were ready for the journey back – a very successful day at the office, indeed!