JEDDAH: People driving long distances in Saudi Arabia often face sandstorms that can ruin their vehicles' bodywork. Dusting -- a process of smearing cars with dust, especially on the front and around rims -- is something that is particular to this part of the world where sandstorms abound.
Traditionally undertaken at car body shops, in the Kingdom dusting has lately taken different dimensions and become common among boy racers who often dust their cars in funky colors to make them stand out. Young drivers view dusting as an art that should be appreciated.
Traffic officials, however, feel differently. They often issue tickets to drivers who dust their cars for recreational purposes, as it changes the look of their vehicles. With many car body shops offering funky colors and tailor-made designs to satisfy customer tastes, dusting is the latest fad.
"In the past people who drove long distances on desert highways -- to places such as Madinah and Riyadh -- would dust their cars to protect the paintwork," said Ahmad Omar, the owner of a car body shop that also provides a dusting service.
"If there was a sudden sandstorm in the middle of the road then that could do serious damage on the body. Dusting has, however, become a fashion among young Saudis these days," he added.
There are different types of dusting. "There is a type that is special for traveling and there is another that protects against the rain. We also offer dusting in different colors," Omar said.
"Some of the young drivers come every week to change colors because they love to see a different color on their cars. The number of customers increases during vacations and special occasions, such as the National Day or when the Saudi football team wins a major match," said Omar.
"In the past it used to cost between SR60 and SR100. Now, with the introduction of new colors and designs, prices range from SR100 to SR500," he said.
Mousa, a worker at a car body shop, said he refuses to dust cars, as it is illegal under Saudi traffic laws. He added that some car shop owners use food items -- such as milk, wheat and salt -- in dusting.
Boy racer Saud Al-Subaie said dusting with funky colors makes his car stand out. "I love to see new things in the world of automobiles. I love to dust my car ... it adds beauty," he said.
Muhammad Al-Ghamdi said he dusts his car once a month and pays around SR200. "It's very boring not to change the color of one's car. This is a growing hobby. There just aren't enough shops in Jeddah to meet dusting demands," he added.
© Arab News 2009
