by Carmel Stewart (14 Mar 06)

Drive over the sands of Filey or Mablethorpe and a man in a peaked hat on a piqued donkey is likely to pursue you, fists waving. But there are places in the world where dune driving is not only tolerated but positively encouraged. Dubai, launch pad for the new Volvo C70, is one such. As a country, it has grown out of oil but, thanks to the foresight of the ruling sheiks, 90% of its GDP is now non-oil related, which is just as well as the black stuff is due to run dry in the next 10 to 15 years.

Although commerce, computers and finance all feature heavily in the country's bank balance, tourism is now being given a big push and, while the place is not blessed with many natural features, it does have one in abundance - sand.

Driving over its shifting surface is something the experts do well and the rest of us don't. Our sand driver, courtesy of Volvo, was twenty-something Abdul, a Kenyan who has lived with his family in Dubai for the past two decades. He started driving in the desert as a fun place to whoop it up on a Saturday night away from watchful parental eyes and ended up teaching it, also for fun.

He had just one word of advice for those drivers venturing onto the sands: momentum. "Whatever happens, you must keep moving," he said. "If you feel the car losing momentum, play with the steering, rocking it slightly from side to side."

His four-wheel drive of choice, he blushing explained, was not the Volvo XC90 he was currently driving but a Toyota Amazon Land Cruiser, which has the necessary switchgear, ground clearance and tank-like build quality for the task.

Before venturing out, he tests the sand to determine the necessary tyre pressure. A drop of 10 to 15psi usually suffices to spread the load and increase the grip. Softer sand requires less pressure and more care to avoid any obstacle that might cause the tyre to pop out of its rim.

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