DUBAI // As the sun slowly rises at 5.30am on a Friday, a group of cars assembles in Tawi Nizwa village on the Dubai-Hatta Road.
The quiet is broken by the whirring of engines outside a line of mostly shut cafeterias. This is a well-known meeting place for dune bashers.
These enthusiasts brave the summer heat in their four-wheel drive vehicles, some without air conditioning, to explore sand dunes and for the thrill of the ride.
But before the adventure begins, they greet each other over sweetened milk tea served by an eager restaurant owner who assures them breakfast will be served soon.
The large gathering chatters away and first-timers introduce themselves over piping hot parathas (Indian bread) with scrambled egg stuffings. In the spirit of camaraderie, someone picks up the tab.
The enthusiastic group from the Arabian Offroad Academy, mostly amateurs and beginners, set off for three hours of driving.
The most important element of off-roading is knowing your car well, says Mohsin Rawal, a founder of the group.
The motorists deflate their tyres after entering the closest desert strip. Buckling their seat belts and dividing into groups, they follow a lead driver who maps the route and makes sure the group members do not get lost.
"It is the lead driver's responsibility to ensure that the cars following … have an exciting time," says Mr Rawal.
Driving at between 20kph and 30kph, they take on the smaller dunes first. The bigger, more exciting dunes off the Dubai-Hatta Road are called the Iftar Bowl, Super Bowl, Big Red, Area 53 and the Pyramids.
The routine is fairly simple and disciplined. Drivers are instructed not to reverse or go back on the same dune without informing other drivers. This prevents accidents and ensures everybody has their chance at the fun.
Each car has a red flag mounted on the back, a tow rope, a GPS device, a tool kit and plenty of water.
It is imperative the vehicles maintain a safe distance, keep up the momentum and switch to the right gears. Drivers also have to familiarise themselves with the sand's texture, their car's abilities and learn about each dune's slopes and crests before attacking it.
The adventure is not without its mishaps as cars sometimes become stuck in the sand, wheel rims pop out and engines overheat. It can be very difficult to fix a hot car in the desert sun.
So what drives these people to wake up early every Friday to sweat it out in the desert?
"It is about responsibility and commitment," Mr Rawal says.
For the new drivers, he says, it is the excitement of learning something new.
"They are happy that they and their car can perform in the desert," Mr Rawal says.
For Aishwarya Shivkumar, one of the few female drivers, it is a taste of adventure.
"It is great to take advantage of living around deserts and learn something new," says Ms Shivkumar, who joined the group four months ago. "It is more of a man's sport, but I like the fun and adventure."
Off-roading also helps break social barriers, says James Gayan, a regular at the sport.
"It's a diverse society and you get to know more people," says Mr Gayan, who is also a rally driver. "We don't just go on drives. Sometimes we go to a meeting point and have a barbecue."
In fact, the Iftar Bowl earned its name because it is a gathering point for different dune-bashing groups during Ramadan when they break the fast together.
This year, more than 300 drivers and their families, from different nationalities, met last Friday to share iftar.
pkannan@thenational.ae
* The Arabian Offroad Academy can be contacted at facebook.com/ArabianOffroad
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
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Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
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Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
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4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
