Saudi Gearheads Take on Towering Dunes, Kick Up Clouds of Sand

Wearing a helmet and strapped securely into his four-wheel-drive, Abdelilah al-Rabea tore off across the Saudi desert, kicking up clouds of sand as a crowd cheered him on.

- Az Zulfi

Az Zulfi — Wearing a helmet and strapped securely into his four-wheel-drive, Abdelilah al-Rabea tore off across the Saudi desert, kicking up clouds of sand as a crowd cheered him on.

Every year through the end of April, droves of people flock to Zulfi, over 200km northwest of Riyadh, where adrenaline-seeking motorists drive superpowered cars across steep dunes.

Dune bashing, or tatees in Arabic, is an adventure sport that involves driving off-road across challenging desert landscapes, and has long been a popular pastime in the oil-rich kingdom.

"This is a popular sport in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf because we have these dunes," Rabea said.

It requires "considerable effort," he added, but the payoff is "a real rush of adrenaline."