Emirati rescue worker drives 7,600km to northern Norway out of love for adventure
How far would you go to follow your dreams?
The answer for one Emirati was to the northernmost part of Europe that can be accessed by car – driving all the way from Abu Dhabi.
Abdullah Al Harthi, 43, drove more than 7,600km to the North Cape, on the northern coast of the island of Mageroya in northern Norway, purely out of a sense of adventure.
Mr Al Harthi has now driven across 84 countries in Europe, South-East Asia and the Arabian Peninsula.
His three-week journey to Scandinavia included stops in Sharjah, Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria and several other European countries, before reaching Norway.
“Nothing could diminish the
overwhelming sense of pride and exhilaration I felt upon reaching the North Cape,” said Mr Al Harthi.
“The fact that I had driven all the way from my home in Abu Dhabi to this remote destination was an indescribable feeling, one that remains etched in my memory.”
The epic trip with his son Maktoom, 14, last January began with a ferry trip to Iran, where Mr Al Harthi drove for four days to Turkey.
From there he drove through countries including Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Serbia, Croatia, Italy, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands and Germany before his final destination in North Cape.
The retired rescue officer in Abu Dhabi Civil Defence has always enjoyed helping people, so he combined this with his love of adventure to set up a volunteering group – known as Fazaa Team – to help young travellers prepare for journeys.
He uses his expertise from his Civil Defence days to help train recruits for its rescue team.
“I used to enjoy helping people on the road or when I found someone stranded. I loved pulling over and offering assistance,” said Mr Al Harthi.
“Over time, I became known among my friends as the go-to person when someone’s car got stuck in the sand or broke down. Some even suggested that I should start a group for this purpose.”
Following the restrictions that came with the Covid-19 pandemic, he urged his volunteer group to contribute.
Tasks during the pandemic were registering patients and testing people for the virus in Burjeel Medical City and the Khalifa Screening Tent.
The next adventure planned is a trip to Africa, said Mr Al Harthi. He says he wants to continue to travel to as many new countries as possible and experience different cultures.