Thursday, Jan 12, 2006
By Nissar Hoath, Staff Reporter
Abu Dhabi: Hundreds of Abu Dhabi residents gathered at sand dunes near Al Ain yesterday to enjoy the spectacular air show and desert buggy bashing and camping.
Most of the sand dunes around Al Ain on the second day of the Eid holidays witnessed groups of people on sand buggies driving up and down near their camps set up for an overnight stay.
The deserts around Al Yahar near Al Ain witnessed the biggest crowds of people hiring sand buggies to enjoy the fun drive during pleasant weather. "It's fun driving these machines, going up the dunes and coming down. I have hired a buggy for half a day and am enjoying every moment of it.
"We will retire in the evening and prepare for our barbecue," Abdullah Siddique Al Balushi said near their tent.
The sand dunes near Al Khazna on the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain highway also had similar views as groups of youths on their buggy bikes headed towards the desert. Khamis Darwish, another youth, came from the neighbouring Buraimi city of Oman with a buggy, to join a group of fun riders.
He said: "We are going to have different competitions and races today and tomorrow. It will be nothing but fun. We have also set up a tent in the desert for an overnight stay."
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi city residents who decided to stay at home, ventured into nearby family parks and spent their lunchtimes and evenings barbecuing and exchanging greetings with friends and relatives.
Some of the city's beaches were also crowded with people playing beach games, such as volleyball and football.
Danesh Kumar, an Indian resident, was one of the residents who had gathered at the beach on Channel Street along with friends.
He said: "Abu Dhabi city and its nearby areas have enough places to have fun during these holidays. Therefore, instead of going for a long drive, we decided to have fun here. It is a beautiful beach to have a barbecue and get-together."
The city's commercial areas continued to witness huge crowds for the second day of the holidays yesterday with hundreds of expatriate workers gathering in front of cafes and restaurants to exchange greetings. The majority of these were Asian construction workers.
Gulf News 2006. All rights reserved.
