The dangerous culture of drifting in Kingdom

occupy little of our youth’s time or interest), there isn’t much to do. Saudi schools don’t have extracurricular activities that encourage kids to do more productive things with their time outside of school.

Second, we don’t have a lot of hobbies here — in fact, the word “hobby” itself is somewhat alien to our culture. Saudis have grown up and lived in tough desert environments, and that’s something even the most well-paved streets and impressively- constructed skyscrapers can’t conceal: This is a harsh place. Our ancestors were too busy surviving in these lands, they didn’t have time to pass many hobbies to their offsprings. And even the hobbies popular worldwide wouldn’t work in our environment anyway or with the uninterested Saudi view of artistic things. So skiing, parachuting, painting, sculpting, surfing, mountain climbing, and many other hobbies, those are no- goes!

Third reason tafheet exists: Encouragement. Our youth rapidly populate any street once they hear tires screeching and this eggs the drifter on. He goes on to perfect this skill, always looking for that addictive euphoric rush anytime he executes a nearly-suicidal move in front of an awe-struck crowd. Really, car chases and drifts in Hollywood movies seem laughably amateurish compared to what Saudi teenagers can do.

There are other factors, but those are three major ones, and as long as those factors and automobiles remain, tafheet will always exist. However, knowing the skills and the thirst for tafheet among the Saudi youth, if all cars somehow disappeared today, I’m sure our teens will find a way to drift with camels!

However, knowing the skills and tafheet-thirst of Saudi youth, if all cars somehow disappeared today, I’m sure our teens will find a way to drift with camels!