McLaren owners in the Gulf countries gathered recently in the United Arab Emirates to embark on the inaugural round of McLaren Desert Run, a tour of the Arabian Peninsula. The participants traveled into Oman and along the coast of the Arabian Gulf to the port of Sohar, the birthplace of the mythical sailor Sinbad.

McLaren Desert Run, then, is quite a romantic event, what with all the exotic cars taking part in it and all the amazing destinations included in the tour. But the trouble is, out in the desert they can only organize events like this once or twice a year in winter. The rest of the year the extreme temperatures make such voyages virtually impossible.

After  thoroughly exploring the Gulf, the convoy then crossed back into the United Arab Emirates and snaked up the winding mountain road to Jebel Hafeet, which is one of the world’s best driving roads featured in TV shows like Fifth Gear.