Toyota 4x4 has launched its pilot 4x4 Academy in Bahra, close to Jeddah. The Toyota 4x4 Academy is a Saudi-based training program that specialises in 4x4 desert driving and dune bashing.

“Considering the geography of the Arabian Peninsula it comes as no surprise that Saudis love desert driving and dune bashing. About 2,330,000 sq km of the Peninsula’s territory are desert and 95 per cent of Saudi Arabia’s territory is covered in sand,” said Adel Ezzat, Toyota marketing director of the SUV division at Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ).

“Dune bashing and desert driving are popular activities usually organised by individuals on a sporadic basis. We know from talking to Toyota 4x4 owners that they would like to pursue their enthusiasm in a more serious manner and so we have launched the Toyota 4X4 Academy, with the aim of turning desert driving and dune bashing from a national craze into a national sport,” he said.

“It requires a lot of knowledge, skill and precautions to drive in the desert. Toyota’s 4x4 Academy students are trained to a level where they can experience the joy of dune driving at its best. They will get in-depth knowledge on safety precautions to be undertaken before desert driving and how to act in emergency situations. Further, students will be equipped with technical knowhow on how to get the most out of their Toyota 4x4 vehicles and actively learn how to drive up and down dunes,” he added.

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has been present in Saudi Arabia since 1955 in partnership with ALJ, the sole distributor of Toyota brands in the kingdom, providing its customers with excellence which is supported by the strength and breadth of ALJs kingdom-wide network of sales outlets and service centers. – TradeArabia News Service