36th Gulf News Fun Drive, which this year saw participants travel 240km from Al Fathiya on the Hameem Road to the base of one of the world’s tallest dunes, the Moreeb Dune, located at the start of the Empty Quarter. Reports, pictures and videos from Gulf News team below...
10pm
Watch: Route director John Spiller cuts the cake at the Gulf News Fun Drive camp in Liwa. Video: Jaye Lentin/Gulf News
8.00pm
Watch: Fun Drive camp is bustling as participants enjoy, dinner, entertainment and share their stories of the day’s drive. Video by Jaye Lentin/Gulf News
7.30pm
After a day of dune bashing, it’s entertainment time at the camp for participants.
(Image Credit: Abdul Rahman / Gulf News)
Entertainment galore. (Image Credit: Abdul Rahman / Gulf News)
6.02pm
Gallery: Highlights from the ongoing Gulf News Fun Drive
4.11pm
Watch: Old and new participants are all enjoying the Fun Drive.
4.01pm
In Pictures: Gulf News Fun Drive camp in Liwa
3.31pm
Watch: Marshals are dedicated to helping participants
2.41pm
Gallery: Snapshots from the Gulf News Fun Drive 2017
2.27pm
Selfies in the desert
Participants take a selfie with camels.
12.05pm
Getting stuck in the desert is fun
People are getting stuck in the first wave of undulating dunes — but are apparently enjoying it. “I want to get stuck in the dunes,” says a participant, when asked what she was looking forward to during the overnighter in Liwa.
“Yes, we have been practicing for this. In the community that we live in, there are people that do this every weekend and take us for these drives.” “I want to reach the point, or the directions to the last point, by 2pm,” she added.
“Apparently, that’s the toughest part. But we got stuck in the first one. Anyway that’s the spirit of the event.” And the first-time dune drivers need not worry: the Marshalls, who are the some of the unsung heroes of this event, are on hand to give a helping hand.
WATCH: Participants enjoy the drive, challenges, getting stuck. It's all part of the fun.
11.53am
Watch: Camels briefly hold up convoy
11.20am
Watch: Shaikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan speaks to Gulf News
11.02am
Watch the flag-off
8.25am
Exploring the desert
It's the start of an exciting two-day journey.
This is the edge of the harsh, unpredictable Empty Quarter. It's chilly this time of the year, which makes it a little more comforting.
After Gulf Fun Drive participants tanked up their tummies early at the designated camp, and packed the whole kit and caboodle, it's a great start to a day of negotiating the shifting sands and taking in the magnificent views of the Abu Dhabi desert
8.00am
Flag-off
Off they go: The first group of vehicles were flagged off from the starting point. A vehicle driven by Shaikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan was the lead car, followed by route marshalls.
7.45am
Spotty signal
Note: Most participants are having breakfast, but others are getting ready for flag off. At this point, on the edge of the unforgiving Empty Quarter, mobile communication lines are a bit spotty. We will give updates as soon as we find good spots to post.
7.05am
It's breakfast time
Fun Drive participants feast on a sumptuous breakfast in the desert to the tune of Pharrel Williams' Happy.
6.39am
Don't forget to download the app
This year, the Fun Drive has a special tracking app for the first time, to assist participants along the way.
The app, available on both the Apple and Android app stores, will track participants during their journey through the Liwa desert.
Using mobile data connectivity, the app helps marshals keep track of each driver so they know straight away if anyone hits trouble.
Read more here.
6.31am
Underneath the desert moon
Another tweet from @AhmadAbdelraziq, who is clearly enjoying being under the desert moon at the Fun Drive start. Looks like Ahmad was there at 2am this morning, so full enthusiasm marks for him!
Beautiful moon. Early arrival at Gulf News kick off point. #525 #GNFunDrive17 #camping #AbuDhabi #Liwa #UAE #Fun pic.twitter.com/MhwJZooXl9— Ahmad (@AhmadAbdelraziq) January 12, 2017
6.18am
Participants gathering at Al Fathiya
Here's a tweet from Tamanna Wahi that beautifully sets the scene at the Fun Drive start:
We have reached the #GNFunDrive17 spot.
Can't wait for this to kickstart 👐 @gulf_news @GulfNewsTabloid pic.twitter.com/vspZa5Kng9— Tamanna Wahi (@tamannaW) January 13, 2017
6am
Excitement building for Fun Drive start
The fun drive is set to begin at 7am. Until then, here's staff reporter Sarvy Geranpayeh's preview to whet your appetite:
Fun Drive 2017 brings together off-road enthusiasts
Around 3,000 people in 850 four-wheel vehicles will be testing their desert driving skills in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region tomorrow (Friday), as they take part in one of the longest running off-road events in the UAE.
The 36th Gulf News Fun Drive is back in the stunning Liwa desert and will see participants travel 240km from Al Fathiya on the Hameem Road to the base of one of the world’s tallest dunes, the Moreeb Dune, located at the start of the Empty Quarter.
The annual two-day event will begin at 7am at the Al Fathiya check-in point with a warm breakfast, completion of formalities and a safety debriefing by the marshals.
The 4x4 cars will take their place in their designated space, deflate their tyres and prepare for the day’s adventure. Some die-hard Fun Drive enthusiasts have been known to arrive the night before just so they can secure their place at the front of the convoy.
Flag off is planned for 9am, however, it may change slightly depending on weather conditions, as the presence of fog creating weak visibility is expected in the area.
Every participating car will be provided with a goody bag, a case of water and lunch boxes for all passengers in the car.
The Fun Drive brings people from all backgrounds and from around the UAE together to enjoy off-road driving in a safe environment regardless of whether they are an expert or a novice.
As flag-off commences, participants will follow the lead car into the desert and start the day’s adventure.
There will be 90 marshals monitoring the event and providing support to anyone who needs it. From tips on how to tackle a certain type of sand, how to climb a dune safely or indeed to be saved when stuck in sand, the marshals can be seen with the people every step of the way.
After a day of dune bashing, the first cars are expected to arrive at their destination, Moreeb Dune, by around 4pm where they will be greeted with a fully equipped campsite where they will start to prepare for dinner and an evening packed with entertainment.
Campsite
The organisers have pulled out all the stops to ensure they create a truly memorable experience for everyone.
After a sumptuous BBQ dinner at the campsite, an evening of unmissable entertainment awaits them.
The popular Syrian Arab Idol participant, Abdulkarim Hamdan, will be performing at the event as well as performances by Bollywood dancers, a live band, a magician and a belly dancer.
Campers can also enjoy taking camel or pony rides, falconry or getting a henna design done by expert artists.
The celebrations will continue until the late hours of the evening.
Food
The quantity of food used for the Fun Drive is staggering.
Emirates Flight Catering prepared the lunch boxes for the event with:
150kg of stuffing and 48kg of cheese for sandwich filling,
140kg of vegetables for salads,
2400 mandarins,
95kg of flour,
25kg of sugar,
20-26kg of butter,
15 litres of egg liquid,
10kg of dry fruit and nuts for English cakes.
Similarly 100 chefs from JA Hotel & Resorts will be preparing the dinner and the famous Fun Drive celebrations Cake with:
1,500 kg of boneless chicken
4,000 eggs
1,800 of assorted vegetables
The 200 Kg of desert-shaped cake has:
70kg flour
40kg butter
30kg egg liquid
40kg sugar
30 litres cream
Follow live coverage of #GNFunDrive17 as excited participants gather for 7am start at Al Fathiya https://t.co/ZEstEQeTOr pic.twitter.com/OynZdltwJt— Gulf News (@gulf_news) 13 January 2017
The next day
The only point on the Fun Drive’s agenda on Saturday, January 14, is a grand breakfast and a relaxing get-together with friends and family. However, many opt to take advantage of their location and create their own activities in the desert surroundings.
The climbing of the monstrous Moreeb Dune is one of the most popular activities. Not everyone will make it to the top of the 300 meter dune that has a slope of 50 degrees, but those who do will be in for a real treat as there are no words to describe the breath-taking view from the top.
Sponsors
The success of the Fun Drive over the past 31-years has been made possible by the support of a number of organisations and sponsors.
These include:
The main sponsor of the event is Al Futtaim Motors (Toyota).
Checkpoint sponsors are BF Goodrich, Dubai Duty Free, Orient Tours, Pringles, The Off Road Company (TORC), TOTAL and V Tools.
Support sponsors are Byrne, Miraclz by Danube, Dunkin Donuts, Emirates Water, Medeor Hospital, Nature Valley, Liwa Hotel and Wildcraft.
TOTAL are the Lubricants Sponsor and vehicle numbers are sponsored by Amity University.
The event’s catering is by JA Resorts & Hotels, Mafraq Hotel and Emirates Flight Catering.
The event is also supported by Al Gharbia Sports Club and International Automobile Touring Club.
