Fuelled by boredom, anger and alienation, young people are stealing cars and racing them at terrifying speeds through Saudi Arabia's biggest cities. Even Osama bin Laden's bodyguard cut his teeth as a joyrider fighting pitched battles with local police
Night after night, throngs of kids steal cars on the outskirts of Riyadh. They remove the number plates, add stickers to the bodywork and use the cars to swerve at high speeds through the Saudi Arabian capital. At 150mph the slightest mistake can have dramatic consequences. Accidents are frequent and spectacular. Deaths and injuries are common.
The phenomenon known as tafhit in colloquial Saudi Arabic and celebrated by MIA in the video for her 2012 single Bad Girls is not new. Saudi youth have raced cars since the 1970s oil bonanza, which brought the country spotless roads, Japanese sedans and unheard-of economic inequalities. Inevitably, it is a maledominated subculture but some women joyride too.
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