UTVs are a Big Hit at Liwa Festival in the United Arab Emirates

By Jon Crowley, UTVGuide.net

I received a phone call from Grant George at Funco UTV in early January 2009 about tagging along with him on a trip to the sand dunes near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. At first I said no, but after some pressure from my family, I decided it was an opportunity that I shouldn’t pass up.

Fast forward three weeks and I was on a plane headed to a country half way around the world from my home in northern California. I flew from Sacramento to Atlanta and then on to Dubai. Almost 24 hours from airport to airport, and then we had an hour and a half drive up to a hotel up in Abu Dhabi.

The next day, we made a few stops and then headed out to Liwa Oasis. Our host Khaled has a house in Liwa that is surrounded by sand dunes. And the dunes go much farther than your eyes can see. I was like a kid in a candy store.

Having seen a few pictures from over there, I had expected to see a few sand cars and lots of ATVs, but didn’t know what to expect for UTVs. My first clue that UTVs were big was when we stopped for gas in Liwa.  As we finished fueling up, two new Polaris RZR S’s pulled up for some fuel as well.  I know that a lot of you out there are lucky enough to be able to drive your UTVs on the street, but being from California, I don’t get to see any UTVs on the road, let alone at the gas station.  And these were brand new RZR S’s, so I knew something was up.

Our group went for many rides from Khaled’s place in Liwa to Moreeb Dune where the sand drags happen and each time, we had four to seven UTVs on the ride.  One long travel Rhino, a fully done up Funco Teryx, and a bunch of RZRs and RZR S’s. The ride from Liwa to Moreeb Dune was a fun ride that was probably about ten miles. There were smooth dunes as far as you could see until you got close to the big hill, then tracks were everywhere. Moreeb Dune was quite a happening spot and lots of UTVs zipped across the valley floor and around the dunes. And they weren’t just a bunch of stockers, there were long travel kits, roll cages, tires and wheels, stereo and custom paint.

At one point, I saw two nicely done up Kawasaki Teryxs approach and stop. I heard a voice that sounded familiar and looked up to see Todd Romano from DragonFire Racing walk up.  Todd was over for the Liwa Festival as well delivering the two new long travel Teryxs.

Right before I saw Todd, I looked around the two groups that had parked on the hill across from Moreeb Dune.  Within about 100 feet of where I was standing I counted fourteen Polaris RZR’s and RZR S’s.  The next morning, one of the guys was reading the local Abu Dhabi newspaper (in Arabic) and on the front of the Sports page, there was an ad for the RZR S. The RZR S has quickly become a huge hit in the United Arab Emirates.

The big event while we were there is the annual hill climbs at Moreeb Dune. Moreeb Hill is loosely translated as “Scary Mountain” and has a reported 50 degree slip face, and a 300m long hill climb. With a paved road to the hill, bleachers, lights and a helipad, Moreeb Dune is the place for organized sand drag races.  The Moreeb Dune Championship is organized by Abu Dhabi Motors Club and features timed hill climbs for motorcycles, ATVs, sand cars, and 4x4s. The drags occur at night, so after our afternoon ride, we would grab a snack and then head out to the hill in street vehicles. The 25 km road out to Moreeb Dune from Liwa was built specifically to get people out to the hill and ends right at the base of the hill.

Meals at Khaled’s house were also an incredible experience.  Every lunch and dinner there would be 15 – 20 guys all sitting on the floor with all kinds of rice, chicken, lamb and fish in front of us.  While they all ate with their hands, Grant and I attempted to use a fork.  After a few tries, we both gave in and just ate with our hands too.  The two nights that we went to Moreeb Dune for the sand drags, we had a full on dinner at 1 AM!

The late meals, lots of Arabic coffee (the cups are so small it doesn’t seem like you are getting much), a few very long days, plus jet lag had my body completely upside down. The 12 hour time difference could have been an issue too…

The dunes in the United Arab Emirates are an amazing sight that go forever and the people there sure have caught on to how much fun you can have riding in the sand. The UAE has great potential for UTV manufacturers that can figure out how to deliver quality product there easily and even more potential for aftermarket parts manufacturers that spend the time to learn the market.

My trip to the other side of the world was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I am thrilled I didn’t miss it. I want to thank Grant for inviting me to tag along, Khaled for the wonderful food and place to stay, and my family for telling me that I had to go.

Hookah Pipes

The guys we were with called it Shisha.  Grant called it Hubbly Bubbly, and I have heard lots of people call it Hookah. Smoking Shisha is an old Arabic tradition has been used for centuries to smoke away the day’s stress, while relaxing with friends and family.

Shisha is tobacco mixed with molasses and fruit shavings. The Shisha is heated by coals and the smoke is cooled through the water after which it emerges through the suction tube, from where it is smoked. The glass base you see is filled with water. Below that silver top is a ceramic base where the tobacco is placed. A piece of foil is placed over the tobacco and coals are placed on top. Being a non-smoker, the amount of smoke in and around the house was tough to handle, so I was outside a lot getting as much fresh air as possible.

More Information about the United Arab Emirates:

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven states (emirates) – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Qaiwain – formed in 1971 after independence from Britain. The terrain varies from the bare rock mountains of the north and east to the spectacular sand desert that runs south into Saudi Arabia and is the northern edge of the Rub al Khali – the “Empty Quarter”.

The Rub’ al Khali, or the “Empty Quarter” in English, is one of the largest sand deserts in the world, encompassing most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula, including southern Saudi Arabia, and areas of Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The desert covers some 250,000 square miles and is one of the most inhospitable places on earth, and entirely uninhabitable.

The Empty Quarter is 1200 km long and 650 km wide, and is among the largest continuous deserts in the world. About 80 percent of this area is in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and covers about a quarter of the Kingdom’s land surface.  Its eastern edges extend into the United Arab Emirates, and its southern margin is in the Sultanate of Oman.  Parts of its southern and southwestern limits are in the Republic of Yemen.

Satellite Image of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Google Maps

Liwa Oasis is located south-west of Abu Dhabi on the edge of the biggest sand desert in the world, the Rub al Khali (Empty Quarter). The Liwa Oasis is a gateway to the deep sands of the legendary Empty Quarter and is known as the playground for 4×4 dune bashing. Dune bashing is an increasingly popular activity, which involves tourists being driven out into the surrounding desert in a 4X4 and driving up and down the sand dunes.

Satellite Image of Liwa Oasis, UAE – Google Maps

Moreeb Hill (Al Moreb Hill) is the place for organized drag races. With a reported 50 degree slipface, and a 300m long hill climb, it is a perfect place for sand drags. Moreeb Hill is one of the largest hill climbs in the world. It is also known as Tel Moreeb or “Scary Mountain”.

Satellite Image of Moreeb Dune, UAE – Google Maps

Tags: Abu Dhabi, DragonFire Racing, Funco, Kawasaki Teryx, Liwa Oasis, Polaris RZR, Sand Dune, UAE

Category: Event Recap, Trail Rides