Tafheet

Tafheet (Arabic: تفحيط), or popularly hajwalah (هجولة), (colloquially known as Arab drifting or Saudi drifting), is a type of street racing-like subculture believed to have started in the late 1970s in Saudi Arabia, that involves driving cars that are generally non-modified or factory-setup (sometimes stolen or rented cars) at very high speeds, around 160–260 km/h (100–160 mph), across wide highways throwing the car left and right to mimic the appearance of drifting. In the process, drivers often drive dangerously close to traffic, barriers, and spectators watching from the roadsides without any protection.

Tafheet driver practice and events are generally seen on the wide sectioned highways of Riyadh, Al-Qassim Province and, less notably, in other parts of Saudi Arabia. In the United Arab Emirates, tafheet are commonly seen on the highways of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which also feature long straightaways.

Apart from the risk involved for the drivers, the spectators are also at a high risk of injury or possible death. Unfortunately, sometimes the drivers would lose control of their vehicle and drive into other road users, or worse, the spectators.

The technique differs from high-speed cornering on tracks as cars drift sideways at high speed and recover with opposite lock. Tafheet practice and events occur with little or no concern for vehicle occupants, other drivers, or spectator safety, and as a result there often are fatal accidents.