Off-road driving has picked up as a sport and leisure activity in Oman. The sand dunes of Bidiya, in particular, are sought after for being a special challenge. The Ronat, the local name for dune bashing enjoys the follow-up and interest of a large segment of the Sultanate’s youth. It has received increasing demand from the public, as a sport of excitement and suspense. What has captured the fancy of a lot of adventure enthusiasts is the performance skills of drivers controlling the vehicle’s movements while ascending and descending from sandy hills.
Bidiya attracts visitors and tourists throughout the year due to the abundance of attractions and camping locations in addition to the vast desert area that showcases the diverse depth of the dunes.The primary thing adventure drivers are looking for is the variety of the dune features which give them the challenge they need.
“There is a huge upcoming population in Bidiya that has 4-wheel drive vehicles, and who want to venture out and test themselves against the desert”, shared Badr al Hajri, Public Relations Manager in the Committee of Ronat sport.
He added, “The contest kicked off in 1999 intending to prevent drifting in the streets. Then it began to attract the public and contestants from inside and outside the Sultanate and from all the Gulf countries.”
He pointed out that as a result of the great turnout by sand riders, the Bidiyah Auto Club was established in coordination with the Oman Auto Club to organize the dune bashing competition and international competitions for which valuable prizes are allocated.
“Every Friday in the winter season has been set for off-roading, with an international competition set on the days of public events”, Al Hajri said.
Talking about the growing sport, Badr said that the competition includes 5 categories: 6-cylinder, 8-cylinder, 6-cylinder modified class, 8-cylinder modified class and the free sand show category. About 20-30 drivers participate in each category. He explained that the club seeks to make the off-roading sport the second most popular sport in the Sultanate after football.
Sami had first gone dune-bashing in 2008, as most tourists in Bidiya do. But unlike others, Sami was hooked. After that point, he would often hire local 4×4 vehicles and go out in the desert with a group of friends.
“Don’t do too much modification. Use your skill, not the vehicle’s upgrades or modifications. That will help you one your skill. I started in 2008 with a Nissan Patrol that wasn’t specifically modified for off-roading”, Sami said.
On the other hand, Rashid, an adventurer said, “It is very important that your vehicle is properly prepared. You should have some recovery equipment with you, some shovels and ladders. You should have emergency rations if you get stuck or lost. It is always better to attempt it in groups, of at least two-three vehicles, so that if one vehicle breaks down, another can either help or can get help.”
He advised, “The more the surface area, the lower the chances of getting stuck. When you reduce the pressure, the tire flattens, so more surface area of the tire will be in touch with the sand and less of it will go inside the sand. It will almost float on the sand. It is also important that you don’t reduce it too much. If you do, when you are turning, the tire may come off the wheel.”
