Driving dad’s Merc from Mauritania to Makkah
Sedi Ahmed passing through Dubai on his way from Western North Africa to Makkah in an old Mercedes 200D
By Shahzad Sheikh
This wonderful, touching and uplifting story comes to us courtesy of Motoring Middle East friend, Mohammed AlFalasi of ProDrift Academy, who encountered this chap in an old Mercedes 200D on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai.
Turned out that the driver is Sedi Ahmed and he is on route from his home in Mauritania, in Western North Africa, to Makkah in Saudi Arabia, in honour of his parents.
Apparently his father did the Hajj Pilgrimage to Makkah many decades ago – on foot! When his mother passed away a couple of years ago, she asked him to recreate the same journey.
Thankfully she give him a choice, he could do it on foot, or by car. Sedi wisely decided the best way to honour his father was to do it in the old man’s Mercedes! A classic 200D.
When our man Mohammed met Sedi, he discovered he’d been driving a long way on failing brakes – the brake booster is leaking and rusted.
The good news is that the part has been ordered and will be installed on the car this week at Top Performance Garage in Al Quoz, so that Sedi can once again be on his way and complete the final leg of his journey.
We hope Motoring Middle East readers will join us in wishing him all the very best and a safe and blessed onward journey.
From the entire team at JDM UAE we wish him all the Best!!!
[Shahzad] How wonderful – nice one guys!