Feature: Wadi Bashing in Dubai

Dubai is run by the Maktoum family, and the current leader Sheikh Mohammed is regularly spotting driving around the city in his G55 AMG or Mercedes-McLaren SLR - even closing motorways so he can drive the wrong way down the road to avoid camel-crossing speed bumps with his ultra-low McMerc.

It's also a place with just a bit of sand. Red ochre dunes line the side of the road, with chicken-wire fences to stop herds of camels walking into the path of traffic. The police even have to close the road at times to sweep away the results of a heavy sandstorm.

All that sand also provides a huge play area for the SUV-owning locals and expatriates, who actually put their cars to the use for which they were designed. But sand surfing is not why we're here - there's another past time which is becoming ever more popular - wadi bashing.

Wadi bashing involves driving your 4x4 through the seasonal riverbeds, which are found in the mountainous area to the east of Dubai across the border in Oman. Because it only rains on two days every year, most of the riverbeds are dry and they provide an ideal play area to push your off-roader to extremes.

Nissan's Pathfinder was our choice of vehicle for this challenge - a car only recently launched in Dubai, thereby drawing crowds of locals to it every time we parked up. With a 4.0-litre V6 - diesel engined cars don't exist out here, and the petrol's very cheap - it should be more than up to the task. It'll also keep us in air-conditioned comfort as the temperature can reach the high 40s out in the great expanses of rocky terrain.

Watch our fantastic video feature to see how we got on, and click through our extensive galleries to bring the taste of Dubai straight to your PC.

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