A desert route to Guinness World Record

Dubai: Get on board the Gulf News Overnighter Fun Drive to be in with a chance to get into the record books.

Come January 11, Gulf News’ 32nd Fun Drive, supported by Al Futtaim Motors – Toyota, will attempt to enter the Guinness World Records in the category of “largest convoy of off-road vehicles.”

The record attempt will be verified and certified by representatives of Guinness World Records who are being flown in specially for the event.

The two-day fun drive will begin on the morning of January 11, with overnight camping in the desert and will return the next day.

The check in for the trip will begin at The Sevens from 6am onwards, while the first car will leave at 7.30am for the eight-hour drive to reach the camp located in the deep desert of Dubai.

The cars are expected to start reaching the camp by 4pm, where participants will stay overnight and drive home the next day after breakfast, in their own time.

New route

A brand new route has been selected in coordination with wildlife experts and off-road specialists in order to give participants the best desert experience.

More than 95 per cent of the route is off-road, which will be a test of concentration, endurance, patience, navigation and off-road driving skills, from start to finish.

One of the highlights of the route will be the abundance of gazelle roaming the desert. This is testimony to the various conservation programmes being carried out extensively by the local authorities.

Jaber Sultan Al Mutawei, Director of the Protect Wild Animals project, has been actively involved with selecting the route and provided guidance throughout.

The Fun Drive is being held with the support of the Emirates Motor Sports Federation (EMSF).

Speaking about the trip, Ahmad Sharif, Acting Director General of EMSF, said: “ We are very happy to support events like the Gulf News Overnighter Fun Drive which provides residents an opportunity to explore the desert while keeping in mind the environment and the rules of the desert.”

The legacy

The Gulf News Fun Drive was designed to give people an opportunity to experience the desert, with the first one held in 1986 including a total of 75 four-wheel vehicles.

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 started organising the Friday Fun Drive and, taking these into account, this Fun Drive is the 32nd in this series.

Jum Ali Khan is Route Director and Jack Pearce is Convoy Leader. Deputy Route Director Saliya Jayaweera, Project Leaders Alan Passmore and Gary Wheeler have put in arduous hours, very often in trying climactic conditions, in co-ordinating this fabulous route. Around 60 highly experienced marshals will be present along the route to assist and guide participants. A team of 300 Gulf News personnel will also be involved with the event, manning checkpoints and taking care of all organisational details.

Register today

Registration for the event commences on Wednesday and participants can register between 9am and 2pm at the Gulf News offices on Shaikh Zayed Road, Dubai every day, holidays included. Abu Dhabi and Al Ain participants can register at the respective Gulf News offices between 9am and 2pm on weekdays only.

Participation rates are Dh350 per adult and Dh175 per child.

The Fun Drive is an event for four-wheel drive vehicles only. A maximum of four passengers plus driver will be allowed.

Participants are reminded to ensure that there are enough seat belts for all passengers.

Entry for the Fun Drive is open to all, but preference will be given to Gulf News subscribers. Details appear in the advertisement, which has been published in the paper today.