Khaled Al Khawaldeh (Abu Dhabi)


Yas Island was transformed on Saturday night by the sound of engine revs and smell of gasoline as car lovers from across the UAE descended for the annual Ramadan Motor Majlis. 

No stranger to high-octane activity, the outskirts of the Yas Marina Circuit traded the usual high-profile Formula One events, for a collection of rare and customised vehicles owned by car lovers from around the UAE. 

The night was a celebration of the country’s thriving automotive culture, giving the nation’s enormous community of petrolheads a chance to blow off some steam, share ideas, and show off their unique builds. 

Omar Ali Alkhayat travelled to the event from Dubai with his friends and his GMC Sierra pickup, relishing in the opportunity to take part and have his car on display for the first time. 

“This is a beautiful gathering, I am happy the guys thought of us, the young guys, and gave us a chance to come here to express our passion for our cars,” he told Aletihad. 

“When you see other people’s cars, this alone is a great feeling, let alone bringing your own car and seeing people taking photos of your car and enjoying themselves, this is a really great feeling.” 

Omar said he had wanted the Sierra since he saw it as a concept car back in 2012. Having caught his eye, Omar waited patiently for almost a decade till he was old enough to get a licence to finally get his own. 

“I put two years of work on this car from A to Z to get it into full shape; I really hope they open up more opportunities and create more events like this.”

The UAE has a high penetration of vehicle ownership, with car culture being an integral part of the social fabric, dating back to its earliest days as a country. As cars replaced camels, and roads replaced caravan routes, the nomadic and mobile nature of the peninsula found itself encapsulated by the motor vehicle, which became a symbol of status as well as a means of enjoyment and transport. 

On Saturday, it was easy to see this very concept in action, with an array of cars as diverse as the population of UAE residents who had come to appreciate them on display, revving their engines to the pleasure of the crowds. 

Certainly, the importance of cars to the charter of the region was not lost on Faris Al Sadek, a British/Palestinian UAE resident who grew up in the country his whole life. For him, the vehicle represented an extension of one’s personality. 

“I came here today to see the different builds that everyone has, the different personalities being displayed with everyone’s cars,” he told Aletihad. 

“Personally, growing up in Abu Dhabi, I was very fortunate to be able to be exposed to luxurious and rare cars. It allowed me to always imagine what my car would look like and fortunately, I’ve been able to build the car to express my personality to its finest,” he said describing his matte black BMW m340. 

“I was able to get my dream wheels. I was able to wrap in my dream colour and sort of give it a personal touch just so that it could represent me as a petrolhead, as someone that loves driving.”