Ahab Shamaa

Thanks a lot Doc @Chaitanya D! I will be happy to help out in any way I can. Looking forward to seeing you and doctor @Mohamed Seidam again 😀

Hey doc @Chaitanya D, please add me to waitlist 😀

A huge thanks @Ale Vallecchi and @Wrangeld for leading these drives 😀 You guys are birds of feather when it comes to great write-ups; shrouded with excitement and mystery🤣 To all my fellow drivers, I have a few thoughts to share with you. Here it goes: 1. Please allot ample time for the drive (no early commitments so we don’t have to exit early). Plus you know in desert driving, you control your entry time, but not so much your exit time. 2. Please don’t bring “green” passengers, especially if they haven’t been to the desert before and you are not sure if they will get sick on the drive. Also, I cannot stress enough that it’s your responsibility to have all passengers on the drive seat belted and secured. You are the captain of the car and your rules go. Do not let your passengers talk you into not wearing a seat belt because they feel sick or trapped. Everyone, especially small children should be belted; period. 3. Please make sure your car is desert worthy and free of mechanical problems at the time of the drive. The car is overheating slightly on SZR, translates into an engine blow-up in the desert. The heat and the demanding drives have been amplifying car issues lately. 4.Make sure your radio is fully charged and/or have a spare battery or a spare (charged) radio. Once on the drive, speak clearly into the radio. Start speaking a second or so after you press the PTT button and release the button a second or so after you’ve finished speaking. If you get stuck, please announce your name, your car make and if possible your position in the convoy. 5. Please be at the meeting point at a time you deem is enough for you to get your flag up and your tires deflated and ready for the drive. The pre-drive prep varies from person to person, so operate on your own timeline. Just be in your car, ready to drive with your radio switched on, at the starting time of the drive. Finally, I would like to stress that I say all the above with the utmost respect and love for everyone. Lately, I’ve experienced some or all of the above issues on my drives, and they have made our actual driving time way shorter than anticipated, and diminished the desert experience for most of us. In any event, I hope I’m not overstepping by sharing my two cents. I’m merely expressing my feelings aloud on the forum. With that, if @Ale Vallecchi, @Wrangeldor @Gaurav do not murder me for running my mouth, I will see you all on the sand on Saturday. Otherwise, know I’ll be dead and buried somewhere in “Dubai’s Middle Earth” 🤣

You guys did such an amazing job documenting this fantastic drive, there is not much else to say 😀 @Arman, it was unfortunate that you had to exit, but from the bit that we drove together, I can tell you’re an excellent driver with good command of your car. @Matt.T you handled the dunes beautifully even with a passenger to distract you 🤣 Seriously though, great driving. @Lucky sAm, sorry you had to exit the drive as well. You were not so lucky this time. I hope nothing serious with the car 🙏🏻 @AlexPol, always great seeing you and your gorgeous Jeep 😍 Thank you for keeping the convoy safe and moving. Also, a big thank you for teaching me how to adjust my suspension 😀 @Paul Zeitoun, great command of the Ram and great maneuvers when crossing over crests; keep it up 💪🏻 @Shehab Alawadhi, I was very pleased to see you slow your roll a bit on this drive 😀 You’re starting to get a better feel for your beast and to respect gravity a lot more. Way to go 👏🏻 @varunmehndiratta, your driving has improved tremendously since our last drive with Sri 😀 You build up more momentum now, and execute maneuvers much more precisely; bravo! @asifk, sorry you had to exit so early. Great self recovery on the crest. Yes, @Foxtrot Oscar, gave you great instructions, but your cool headedness, calm attitude and following instructions are what got you unstuck. Captain Ashok @Ashok chaturvedi, great command of the yellow Kaizen 💪🏻 Your driving skills are shining through, now that you have a more capable car 😀 Enjoy your vacation and see you soon! @Islam Soliman, good driving with you again and great job keeping it all safe, tidy and moving at the back! Last but not least, Angela @Foxtrot Oscar, thank you for a fantastic drive 😘 I know you put in a lot of work and effort to plan your drives so that they’re challenging with nice scenery. Well, if it’s any comfort, your hard work shows on your drives 😀 This is not to mention your great, positive attitude that rubs off on all the convoy making the drive funner and more lively. Thank you all for a wonderful drive, and see you all on the sand real soon 😀

GJ is a new one for me Angela @Foxtrot Oscar 😂 I’m looking forward to the drive tomorrow 😀

What a fantastic drive this was! I enjoyed every minute of it 😀 The latter bit of the drive was awesome, and the desert night was exhilarating and refreshing. Everyone drove so well and everyone got to try out their shiny lights 😍 The fewbies proved to be very capable and the IMs showed off their impressive driving skills as well 😀 @Foxtrot Oscar, as usual, you’re the life of the party (or the drive)🤣 Thank you for all the effort you put into keeping the convoy entertained, challenged and most importantly safe 🙏🏻 @Craig Finlayson and @Islam Soliman, thanks for keeping the convoy safe, and helping us move things along. @Ashok chaturvedi and @Hisham Masaad, my fellow FJ owners, thanks for showing us that FJs don’t actually get stuck; they just park themselves for a short while 😂 Finally, I look forward to driving with you all again, and I hope it’s a night drive, because I thoroughly enjoyed driving under the imposing desert sky 😀

Thanks @Hisham Masaad! Looking forward to seeing on the drive 😀 We can finally chat and compare notes on the FJs. Haven’t driven with you since the RAK scenic drive...

Good eye @Shehab Alawadhi! I thought @Foxtrot Oscar would find it funny, and that’s why I wrote it 😀 If you also notice, the Fewbies are a minority on this drive as it’s mostly IMs 🤣

Thanks @Foxtrot Oscar 😘 See you in a few 😀

Sounds awesome 😀 Thanks @Ale Vallecchi for an exciting “drive trailer” 😆

@varunmehndiratta, good luck with ministry my friend 😂

Thanks @Frederic for the post! I didn’t know a lot of the info 😬 Thanks @Rahimdad for pointing me to the post 🙏🏻 @Craig Finlayson, you probably know all this, but it’s very helpful if you don’t 😀

Wow! What a nice drive this was 😀 Dr. @Mohamed Seidam, you can relax now. We won’t be needing Rashid’s services after all 🤣 The drive was extreme in all senses, but @Srikumar kept it safe and feasible with clear instructions and open communication. The drive was intense from start to finish and the drivers had to stay concentrated and focused to be able to keep up. The rhythm was much brisker than normal drives, and as a result, the slightest delay (refusal or re-route) would cause us to lose the trail of the convoy. In fact, @Srikumarhad to graciously double back a few times to fetch us stragglers 😂 I was planning on using my GoPro on its maiden drive today, but I ended up scraping that idea to stay focused on this challenging drive 😀 All fellow drivers @Christian Andras, @Ilya Golubinsky,@MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ & @Jorge Stepniak Felippe drove very well and with control. Most of the stucks/refusals were self recoveries, except for my cresting that earned me a star from Sri and a nice tug from Craig 🤪 Last but not least, @Craig Finlayson had his work cut out for him today, and he really rose to the occasion. Great job Craig in keeping the convoy moving, helping, recovering, re-routing and leading the back of the convoy at times. I felt safe knowing you’re right behind me 😀 The extreme drive caters to a particular type of driving appetite, and is definitely not for everyone. Having said that, the extreme drive is definitely for me and I would happily participate in one when it’s offered again. Good seeing you all today, and I hope that your weekend continues to be as great as it started with this wonderful drive 😎

Deal Dr. @Mohamed Seidam! 😘 @Christian Andras, good luck as second lead brother 💪🏻 I feel for you and with you 😀 @Craig Finlayson, what happens on the drive, stays on the drive. No divulging my driving shortcomings to anyone 🤣

Thanks doc! I hope you’re on call if I end up in Rasid 😂

Awww! @Rahimdad, what a nice write up 😀 Indeed @Niki Patel, you have a lot of people routing for you 💪🏻

Wow! That is one lucid, comprehensive and well thought of commentary @Niki Patel! You never cease to amaze me 😀 Thank you my friend for being such a great resource to the community 🙏🏻 As to you remaining in Fewbie forever, I’m not buying it 😜 I think you will feel it when it’s time for you to drive at a higher level. You’re doing the right thing though. Don’t push it, and let the next level come to you... See you all on the sand soon 😘

Angela @Foxtrot Oscar, you sneaky thing! Congratulations on your CarPlay system 😀 Integration is really awesome, and CarPlay rocks! As to Dr. Seidam @Mohamed Seidam, mentioning Android and anything related to it to an iPhone owner/user is blasphemy! Just sayin’ 😀 @Niki Patel and @Hisham Masaad, I spoke to an shop in Dubai over the phone, and they said the can add more microphones to the FJ for better voice detection/reception. Currently, I only have one microphone installed on the A pillar of my FJ, which came with my CarPlay Pioneer unit. In comparison, newer cars have 8 to 12 microphones installed throughout the cabin 😳 In any event, I’m gonna visit the shop imminently and I’ll let you guys know what transpires 😀 @Niki Patel, perhaps you can call the guys who did your audio upgrades and ask them as well? This way we’ll have more choices 😀

Hey @Foxtrot Oscar, it seems like it’s not in the stars that I drive with you this week. I have to unfortunately withdraw from this lovely drive ☹️ Thanks for all you do, and hope to see you really soon 😀

Hello again Angela @Foxtrot Oscar, The mechanic just informed me that my FJ won’t be ready in time for the drive tomorrow afternoon. As such, if you would, please remove me from the waiting list. I hope you guys have an awesome drive 😀

Wow @Rahimdad! That sounds so awesome 😀 Extreme drives lead by @Gaurav, @Asif Hussain and @Rahimdad! Just bring on the pampers; I’m gonna need lots of them 😂 I’ve seen all three of you drive, and I know what you’re capable of unleashing! It sounds like Carnity was more socially active before Corona. Hopefully, this will be the case again, and we’ll be able to have large convoys like in Liwa 🙏🏻

Dominic Toretto @DANIEL NOGUEIRA! I’m so happy you’re joining brother 👏🏻 Looking forward to this drive 😀

Hola @Foxtrot Oscar, please waitlist me for this as my second drive.

Hello @Foxtrot Oscar, please add me to the waitlist of the drive 🙏🏻

Looking forward to it @Rahimdad 😘 Olive bread, cookies and some tea for our next drive 😀 Very interesting facts you bring up 😀 Here’s my personal take on this... @Emmanuel, @Srikumar and @Lorenzo Candelpergher all have the “Speedy Gonzales” gene in them 🤣 I’ve been on IM drives with all three guys, and they have all managed to impress the heck out of me; giving me sweaty palms from speed and maneuvers 😀 If I had to pick the “honey I soiled my pants” drive between all 3, I would have to go with the Italian 😀. @Lorenzo Candelpergher’s entire convoy couldn’t breathe because the drive was so fast and so intense 😬 So here you go; my personal experience with all three marshals. Now we need to figure out a way to decide who of these three gentlemen is the undisputed “Carnity Velociraptor” 💪🏻