Young car lovers are using the Al-Kubri Al-Mayyet desert area on the Makkah-Jeddah Highway to practice their hobby of drifting on the sand dunes.

The drivers challenge each other by performing various stunts. This has been going on for years despite the danger and the absence of medical professionals. Many people, some with their families, now turn up on Friday nights to picnic in the area.

One “stuntman” said government entities must adopt the practice as a sport. “These drivers perform in places away from people so it does not annoy or inconvenience anyone,” said Saeed Al-Jundubi. He said the practice is not costly because all a drifter needs is to equip his four-wheel-drive car to climb the dunes.

Saleh Al-Zahrani said the events are more popular and widespread in the central and northern parts of the Kingdom, such as Hail and Qassim, where there are much higher dunes.

Nasser Al-Harbi said Jeddah’s drifters also want to spread the practice in the region. He said they have been practicing it for years and turned Friday nights into “drifting parties” in the area. The local word for the practice is tat’ees, which is derived from ta’as, the Arabic name for a sand hill or dune, he said.

Fahad Saud said it was impossible for regular cars to drive on the dunes. A drifter would need a car with a strong engine, wide tires and low height. Some drifters transform their car engines to climb the dunes, he said.

Faleh Al-Jifri said some rally competitions have been held in the Kingdom in desert areas, including the famous Hail Rally.