MAYS IBRAHIM (LIWA)

People from around the globe have come to experience the desert’s winter charm at the 2024 Liwa International Festival - Moreeb Dune, which managed to establish itself as a hotspot for four-wheel drivers and bikers from across the region, promising them a wide range of thrilling challenges.

Visitors approaching the festival site are enthralled by the far-stretched boundaries of the Liwa desert, home to a captivating range of flame-coloured dunes, some 150 kilometres southwest of the city of Abu Dhabi.

The annual event, which embraces Emirati culture and heritage, weaves together a blend of family-friendly entertainment experiences, including thrilling motorsport competitions, horse and camel races, authentic dining experiences, and much more.

It also promises its visitors high-octane thrills. A key highlight at the festival is Tal Moreeb, which roughly translates into “The Terrifying Mountain” in Arabic. It’s one of the world’s tallest sand dunes, boasting a 50 degree slipface and standing at the staggering height of 300 metres.

A ‘Safe’ Venue for Families and Children

Excitement around this site can be felt among the people gathered to see drivers take on the dunes surrounding it. Aletihad spotted a family enjoying the stunts performed by daring racers. Eleven-year-old Salma and her five-year-old sister Maryam were sitting at the roof of their dad’s car cheering loudly in awe and excitement.

“It’s crazy; I saw one car driving on two wheels only,” little Maryam told Aletihad.

Her mother Britney is an expatriate from Switzerland. She noted that the festival is “definitely” a safe venue for families and children to enjoy themselves outdoors.

“This is our first time coming to the festival; my daughters absolutely loved it. We drove here from Dubai and we will definitely be back next year,” said Britney.

“My favourite part about the festival is dune bashing; I felt like I was on a roller-coaster,” said Salma, who spoke very fondly about all the desert animals she got to see while at the festival.

Ahmad Al Hasani, an Emirati father, has made it a tradition to come here with his sons and nephews every year since he first attended the festival in 2014.

“Every edition has managed to top the one before it,” Al Hasani told Aletihad, noting that the development of the festival and the expansion of its activities is “evident”.

“We have been camping here for three days. This has become an annual family tradition,” Al Hasani noted.

“I can’t not come. My sons talk about it all the time; they’ve been planning what they’re going to do and see for two weeks before it even started. I’ll be in trouble if we don’t come,” he added jokingly.

Al Hasani also stressed the significance of this festival as a “safe” space for youth to practise such extreme sports, while also providing children with the opportunity to enjoy the breezy outdoors and escape the noise of the city.

‘An Adrenaline Rush Like Nothing Else’

Aletihad also spoke with 29-year-old Adam Rasbi from Oman, who is attending the festival for the fifth year in a row with a group of friends, some of whom are taking part in the races and drifting events. Rasbi has been camping in Liwa with his friends for five days, enjoying traditional dishes, famous for being slow-cooked beneath the sand.

“It’s a world class-atmosphere; I am lost for words to describe the type of excitement we’ve experienced here,” he said, noting that safety measures at the event are “excellent” with the presence of paramedics on the field 24-hour a day.

Naser Al Hajri, an Emirati youth, drives to the Liwa Festival every year to enjoy the show put on by skilled drivers, practising what’s known in Emirati dialect as “Tatees”, which refers to driving a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand. He noted that this adventure sport is very popular among Emirati youth, offering them “an adrenaline rush like nothing else”.

Hamad from Oman is attending the festival for the first time to support his friends who are participating in drag races.

“It’s our hobby and we’ve come here for a space to share it with our brothers from across the region,” the 23-year-old said, commending the hospitality of the Emirati friends he managed to make, while camping in the desert for three days.

Warmth of Arabian Hospitality

Khaled, one of the participants in the car stunt competition held on the dunes in Liwa near Tal Moreeb, was spotted cheering his friends during the drift races.

“The sound of the engine revving up as I speed up, and the feeling I get when I manage to take on these high dunes, arriving at the top is quite unmatched,” the Omani youth, who has been practising this sport for seven years, told Aletihad.

“The festival also gave me the opportunity to meet amazing people from the UAE and all over the world, who share my interest in this hobby. We’ve enjoyed the hospitality of our Emirati friends while camping in the desert, and look forward to repaying it when they come to visit us in Oman,” he added.

Katrnia, a Ukrainian who has been living in the UAE for the last 10 years drove to the festival from Dubai, and has been camping there since day one.

“This is my fourth time attending the festival; the services and activities it offers have definitely witnessed a significant upgrade since the first time I attended it; it’s becoming a global village,” she told Aletihad.

“I am here for all of it, the falcon hunting, camel racing, dune bashing, and drifting. I don’t want to miss anything. Every event is beautiful and interesting in its own way,” she said.

Katrina added that despite the development of organisation and safety aspects, the festival maintains its alluring “wild” character, with an atmosphere that can’t be found anywhere else; “everyone here is happy and worry-free”.

The Ukrainian expat, who described Liwa as a “second home”, also remarked that the hospitality of her Emirate friends there is “unmatched”, taking pride in inviting guests to share their meals and experience their traditional cuisine.

“I now have hundreds of friends here from all over the UAE. I wish I could stay in Liwa forever. You’re surrounded by beauty everywhere,” said Katrina.