Arab Drifting, Saudi Drifting, or Middle East drifting, known in Arabic-speaking countries as Tafheet (تفحيط), or Hajwalah (هجولة), is an illegal street racing-like phenomenon believed to have started in the late 1970s that involves trying to "drift" cars; to drive cars that are generally non-modified factory-setup rental cars at very high speeds, around 160–260 km/h (100–160 mph), across wide highways throwing the car left and right. In the process, racers often drive dangerously close to traffic, barriers, and spectators watching from the roadsides without any protection.
Contents
Tafheet driver practice and events are generally seen on the wide sectioned highways of Riyadh, Al-Qassim Province and, less notably, in other parts of Saudi Arabia.
The technique does not involve recognised high-speed rally racing skills such as high-speed cornering using power slides. The skill involves sliding around on a wide flat straight road section at high speed, drifting sideways, and recovering with opposite lock, repeatedly. Tafheet practice and events occur with little or no concern for vehicle occupants, other drivers, or spectator safety. Many videos and compilations of the minor and horrific accidents that result are posted online.
Culture
Some of the more popular tafheet maneuvers include:
Lack of hobbies or other suitable activities in the country, owing to Saudi Arabia's harsh desert climate and lack of interest in the arts by mainstream society, has been cited as the motivation for youths to participate in drifting exhibitions.
The cars are generally stock rental cars and are basic mid-size front wheel drive vehicles, minimizing personal cost and repair liability. While there have been instances involving high-end vehicles such as Ferraris and Nissan GT-Rs, these are relatively less common compared to joyriders stealing sedans or compact cars for the purpose of drifting, abandoning them after an event.
Response
Often the police receive reports about high-speed drifting from concerned citizens demanding an arrest because of the risk to public safety. The drifters are rarely caught as the events are organised using an illegal spotter or spotters who use mobile phones to disband the vehicle activity before the police arrive on the scene. Although the police response is rapid, investigations often prove fruitless; generally, the spectators and drivers have left or are dispersing into regular traffic when the police arrive. Videos of tafheet events are often uploaded to the Internet to be seen by the spectators and drivers. Occasionally, police attempt to intercept the drivers but are chased away by both the drivers and spectators.
In June 2012, a middle-aged Saudi drifter nicknamed "Mutannish" (the nickname means "one who ignores") was sentenced to death by beheading for killing two people while drifting his car near Unaizah in Al-Qassim Province.
In March 2014, a 23-year-old Saudi nicknamed "The King of Nazeem Neighborhood" was sentenced to ten years in prison and 1,000 lashes for a series of car drifting and firearms offenses in Riyadh and Al-Qassim Province. The drifter was also banned from driving for life.
To combat this, academies and leagues have since been established by professional racers in the region, in an effort to mitigate illegal street drifting incidents and to educate youths against the dangers of such activities, encouraging them instead to participate in officially sanctioned events.