Dubai Road Express Film – Full Movie in HD

In 1976, Scania commissioned a film to document the maiden trucking journey between Norway and Dubai on a route called the Dubai Road Express. More than four decades later, this film has become a piece of history.

The year prior, Norwegian trucking company Johan Evensen & Sønner had completed its last of 106 journeys to Bandar Abbas on the southern coast of Iran, and was looking for new opportunities.

It was the next year, when the tanker Serpens Constellation had an unexpected breakdown in the middle of the Atlantic, that Jan was given the mission of a lifetime. A necessary spare part, made in Norway, needed to be delivered to Dubai, where the ship could pick it up while en route into the Persian Gulf.

For the drivers of such routes, leaving home meant being away from their families for weeks at a time, often without knowing exactly when they would be back or what challenges they would encounter along the way.

In the end, the Dubai Road Express turned out to be short-lived. Once the inaugural trip was over, transport company Johan Evensen & Sønner made the decision to cancel the route. The loose sand between Doha and Dubai, accompanied by relentless heat that disabled important support systems, meant the route was just not worth the trouble.

[otmarposch]

I did this off road section on my way from Austria to Abu Dhabi with a Scania 111 and a semi trailer in summer 1977 without any problems.
This nice movie is good chance to remember what I did in my youth.

[Salah.alkhalifa]

That off-road part was about 60-70km long and used to be called the “hell pass”. It ended near Sila area (now in UAE). From Sila to Abu Dhabi it takes about 350 km of nice asphalt road. Now all is clear to drive through all the way.

Greetings from Eastern Arabia!

[jasonking]

awesome film no mobile phones no help just had to get on and deal with it thats what you call a real driver.

[MrBiggpee]

My Father was a truck driver, I still have photos of his truck in the Kuwait desert from that time so it gave me a sense of what it would have been like for him and brought back memories of trips I had as a young boy with him. He passed away several years ago but this brought back so many memories, thanks.

[ansgarbavendiek]

I drove a 111 Scania back then ... but with 6 cylinders and only 280 hp.
Really gorgeous truck !!! Cannot be broken! Over a million kilometers on one damn engine and gearbox. Only needed oil and diesel. Readjust the brakes yourself, drain the water from the compressed air tanks and change a wheel every now and then. And... It rained in, at the end ... It was really a wonderful time!!!!

[idreeskhan]

An era of peace, Wish could have those times back!

[RandomTanzania]

Real truck, real driver, salute!!!
#scaniathebest

[jonathanlovejoy]

i know the feeling, i can relate, in 1992 i joined two others to drive a Mercedez 608 from Arlberg in Austria to Lahore in Pakistan, i was the co driver, the engine was in need of a rebuild so we had to drive journey took three and a half weeks at about 50 kmh with a 24 hour stop in Ankara and a four day stop in in all a journey that i will never days i look down from the plane while flying back from India and sometimes we are driving along the road that i had driven and sometimes we fly past the bridges over the Bosforus.

[davidwarren]

That’s what you called an adventure and a challenge back then. They’d literally had no modern technology. It was done with a map and word of mouth. These drivers were the pioneers of long haul trucking. Fair play to them!

[XerxesLangrana]

Fantastic film! What an adventure! These old films had an air of panache and yet they had such simplicity which you don’t see anymore. It’s also amazing to see how much Qatar and the UAE have changed in the last 40 years, they are no longer a desert outback.

[Bevoin]

Awesome!! Full respect to this driver and other drivers that ever did this run. Im pretty sure I don't have the mental state of mind to even contemplate doing such a journey, and I drive for a living but not on this scale. To be on your own, no mobile phones, no backup, no nothing!! Digging your way out, I can only say "WOW" It takes a special breed. Serious respect here....

[johanruiter]

I met Arne Knudsen who drove to bandar abbas for Evensen several times on Peter Wessel ferryboat, always nice to listen to his stories. Nice video. My longest trip was in 2008 with pregnant cows from Holland to Uzbekistan.

[stefankassbohrer]

Anywhen somebody asked me what kind of scandinavian music i like ... My answer was: Abba, Roxette & Scania V8 ... great report, this movie !

[mohabatkhanmalak]

I lived in Dubai emirate from 1973 to 2001, and remember with nostalgia the sights and things shown in this film clip. The time period must be in the 1970's. The shipping agency "G.A.C" or Gulf Agency Company has been operating in Dubai for many years, with Mr Tors Sandgren (from Norway) as the manager. Their supply boats GAC1 and GAC2 would be moored at the creek by the British Embassy. We knew some people who were with G.A.C and once went on board one of the GAC supply boats which had 2000HP diesel engine.
The highway in the lower Gulf, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, U.A.E and Oman is all paved with modern facilities to make travel easy today. The truck and driver took quite some wear in the desert, don't know if the truck had air-conditioning.
A much easier route would have been Norway to Bandar Abbas, Iran, then loading the freight onto coastal boats or GAC boat to Dubai, a short hop. This would avoid the sandy stretch between Qatar and U.A.E.

[Grandpaaaa]

Been there, done that, but I used my Robson Drive when i got stuck. It really helped. This was in 1975 and I drove a Volvo F88. Great movie that brings back a lot of memories. Thanks!

[ioannisiordanidis]

Such a wonderful, wonderful film! Thank you for taking the time to commission and make this.

[Theseagullfan]

20:38 His sleepy face is exactly the same as mine 40 years later when i wake up in the cab, some things never change lol

[akepettersson]

”If you’re an explorer, you’re an explorer ; therefore you always go forward.”
Positive thinking at ca 30.25.
I’ve been working to these days over 30 year as a truckdriver in Europe, but this was the ”real deal”.

[kurdoo]

Loved it! Grew up with my Dad driving 111 Scania! Brought back lots of memories

[thor-leiflundberg]

Vilken fantastisk film! Transporthistoria när den är som bäst!