Dune Bashing in Dubai – “Heart full of memories & phone full of pictures”
Written by Ruhi Khatu; Photographs shared by Balaharish Manikandan; Master of Global Business (MGB – CMM) students. SP Jain School of Global Management – Class of 2018.
Dubai is known for its varied culture, traditions, food, malls and obviously, the climate. The ‘giant sandbox’, as people often describe it, Dubai is all the superlatives in the world condensed down to one sparkling, posh, one-of-a-kind place. The tallest hotel; the tallest building; the largest man-made island; the largest mall in the world – Dubai has them all.
Amidst all this varied cultural experiences, something which stood out for me is the Desert Safari- a trip into the desert to ride the dune buggies and camels. And it was not just me, the entire class looked forward to Desert Safari from day one.
The timing of our course held in Dubai couldn’t be any better. SP Jain’s Dubai campus welcomed the MGB and GMBA cohort in the month of May, a perfect time to experience the vibrant cultures of Dubai, considering this is the special time of the holy month of Ramadan. As a part of our Global Learning Experience, SP Jain organised an evening of Desert Safari for us on 25th May, which was a welcome break from the hectic week of SBRs and Quizzes.
Imagining a Desert Safari, the very first thing that pops into one’s mind is sand-dune bashing – and that’s exactly how we started our desert experience. Our adventure started with a fleet of SUVs which took us bashing into the sand dunes that was nothing less than a roller coaster ride. The SUVs dropped us to the camp situated in the middle of the dessert where the students enjoyed the scenic beauty of the sunset capturing the moments.
Camel rides and ATV rides added that extra charm to the surrounding. After the mesmerising view of the sunset, everyone enjoyed the refreshments and were thoroughly engaged in other activities such as Henna designs, clicking pictures in the traditional attire, and shopping for artefacts. We also got to learn how desert camps function and got an insight into the local business strongly connected to its culture.
As the stars took over the sky, students indulged in Sheesha, followed by the Arab traditional dances and the famous fire-dance which was the highlight of the evening. A wide spread of traditional Arabic food was organised serving pita bread and hummus, a wide variety of salads, biryani and barbeque dishes. Thus, the safari concluded, with our hearts full of memories and phone full of pictures.
About the Author: Ruhi Khatu
Ruhi Khatu is a Master of Global Business student with SP Jain School of Global Management. Specialising in Contemporary Marketing Management, she is a part of the 2017 cohort. Ruhi hails from Mumbai and is an active member of the GLSL Committee at SP Jain. She enjoys dancing and listening to music among other hobbies, and is an avid reader.
