Abu Dhabi Off-Road Club Forums

Dear Members, brothers, sisters...
This post is dedicated to our beloved Marshal Banna who left us too early and who will be never forgotten.
Feel free to post here your testimony, pictures, memories about our lost friend so he will be remembered for who he was: a generous, loving, joyfull man.

Personnaly, this is how i remember Banna:
the 2 days and the amazing night i spend with him in Liwa for ADAC 2009! what great time we had, driving through the massive dunes of Liwa with his lazy Patrol, and spending the night Brett, him and me chatting under the stars... This was also another great day, the marshal run a year ago... Banna was trying to improve his cammouflage abilities... So long my friend, I hope there are beautiful dunes in Heaven, and that you 'll have fun riding them with the angels... I'll miss you.

A person that we will never forget him and he will stay a life in our memories

Since I finished my MBA last February we were together in the desert almost every week. We were togethr in all the club events: Jamboree, GPS fun , Emirates driving school trip, Iguana's friends trips in net tours camp. If there was no club event I used to receive a call mostly Tuesday morning while always busy with the work :
Banna: You look very busy
Yehia: Yes very....
Banna :" what are you doing on Friday?"
-Yehia: Nothing
Banna: then lets go to Al Khatim
-Yehia: Ok announce a trip and I am with you.
And we meet on Friday , almost the same group : Bu Nasser, Ahmed Hamly, Sultan, Thabit, then sometimes Mr. Essa, Hadeel , Omari, Zox. His idea was always to have this afternoon drive on Friday as a habit for the club. Let those who would like to have full day trip do it and those who want overnight trip do it but we always must have this afternoon relaxing drive every Friday. Whenever one of our Advanced or Explorer members wants to lead a trip I receive a call from Ashraf ; Let us go to help ,,, and we do it.

Last week I did not receive the midweek call, then I called him on Thursday:
Yehia: What happened ? You are not going to desert tomorrow?
-Banna: No I have to take my family to Al Ain,but our group wants to go ,,, Will you lead them?
Yehia: Ok but who will be going?
-Banna: I will ask Iyad to call you now.

This was the last time I heared his voice, then Iyad called me and we meet on Friday with Omari, Hadeel, Majed , Thabit , Tarek, Iyad and me. We drove in the desert for the first time without him. Then we sat for the BBQ again without him . maybe this was a training to us that we have to get used to this situation.
Let us all pray for him this is what he really needs from us now.

A lot of memories that I have with him, one thing Sultan and I talking to him when he'll fix his car, he answered when I can't drive it any more. I'm sorry guys but its really hard just to think that's he's gone.
Have videos for Banna last trip, I might share it with you all.



Thabit

I remeber once He Joined us for the first time in his Pathfinder as newbiew then and we went to al Khatin.

He got stuck so many times but he was a gentle and joyfull.

Recently I gave my old winch so he could fix it into his Patrol ..........he could not get time to install it.

may his soul rest in piece. He will be remebered.

I remembered when I change my car last year, I decided it the time to improve my driving skills to be promoted till I join one of his trips and because he was so friendly I asked him that I want to be promoted so what I have to do, he told me you have to do this and that in details then he told me you are missing the great part of ad4x4 “we started as community sharing our time till we became family now, improve your driving skills but trust me it’s not a big deal you can enjoy your time and company each level” this was last December and since that time till last Monday.
I was happy to join his trips, as Yehia mention almost every Friday we were going to desert even when summer started, he was so kind and flexible even when he was busy we call him and ask where is the trip announcement, he replied I was so busy but don’t worry now I will do it then we find a short notice trip announcement, some trip was mid-week and we never think about trip might be canceled.
Last week he said Friday this week is my own family day, so he arrange it with Yehia and we went without him, we used to go every Tuesday and when Thabit announce a trip on Monday he told me so nice Im to support him, lets enjoy our time in Thabit’s trip, BBQ time was amazing where we discuss car modifications , trips and tracks, dunes and techniques, then he said the fun does not finish for tonight, let’s go back crossing the desert to main street so we had a nice night driving and we never think it would be the last time with him.
He was a unique marshal, helpful, kind and great personality
Let’s all pray for him this is what he really needs from us now.

Memories of Banna - I have so many.

From my very first trip with the Club where he kindly showed me how to deflate a tyre, and left me to get on with it. I thought he had done them all and then wondered why I kept getting so stuck, and poor Banna had to keep rescuing me until we checked the pressure - yes driving with one tyre at 10psi and three tyres at 35psi will always cause you problems!

Banna and his thumbs up! That was his trademark gesture and he loved showing you have to drive a bowl, and then waiting for you to have a go and giving you the thumbs up when you managed it. His enthusiasm and his happiness when you were able to achieve it was brilliant.

Just recently I was lucky to have quite a few drives with Banna and had started to call him "Houdini" for his amazing skill of being able to get himself or someone else out of a difficult stuck. Monday night was exactly one those Houdini moments when we had four stucks, but with everyones patience, and Banna and Thabit guiding us, not only did everyone get out and the pop out get fixed, it was done with much laughing. And I got to rescue him as well.

Guys - remember his determination to get up that dune on Monday!

These are the memories that will lift me when I get sad thnking that he has left us too early. Gone, but never forgotten.

RIP Banna.

I remember the trip when Banna allowed me to take lead on and my brother was with me for his very first time in desert and he was so scared then Banna has decided to take him in his car ,,, coz he ofcourse know to keep relaxed and my brother was so happy with him more than with me all the way back home he was just talking about how kind he is and his jokes....

he is the MAN with Big Smile, Big heart will always be there for you to support

I was sad coz he was not there in the last friday drive coz we got use to him be there all the weekends; but I guess he was training us that he will no longer go with us for trip and enjoy the desert the way he do

Banna has gone to Heaven inshallah and here we are talking about our perfect memories with him if not all of but most of us our very first trip was with him ,,,

We love you Banna and we will always do

RIP

الله يرحمه و يغفر له
و يصبر اهله و اولاده و يثبتوا عند السؤال يارب العالمين

I still remember when Banna was newbie ... getting stuck every 5 minutes ... He had a pathfinder which he then changed to a gollopar just to avoid getting stuck.

Of course with the Gallopar he was getting stuck more .. But always with a smile

I recieve the same call that Yehia gets every Tue.
Banna : Good morning ya boss
Iguana : Good morning Banna
Banna : What is happening, there is no newbie trip this Friday
Iguana : Yes Banna, Marshals are tired or busy
Banna : This is not acceptable, I will announce a trip now, As long as I am alive, there will be a trip every Friday

He was the most beloved member in the club, no once complained about him, always there when you need him

Most of the recent upgrade was recommended by banna, he wanted to upgrade everybody and he was always saying "Make them Happy"

I will never forget his smile .. RIP Banna

The BIG lessons I learned from him:

Be PATIENT!
NEVER LOOSE your temper!
RESPECT everyone and treat him friendly!
(even behind his back!)
ACTIVELY help anytime!

... and keep SMILING no matter what!

I am ashamed ... he was so good ... God give me strength to be better than before!

((يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّة فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي ))
صدق الله العظيم
Allahs mercy upon you Ashraf!
And while we need some strength when missing him, his family needs much more ... Allah give us all strength!

Banna will be always there,

this was the first time to meet Banna

.

Banna! What a shock to hear the news.

I remember well the night xof mentioned - just the three of us around the fire, chatting and laughing. One of those memorable desert nights. Banna hadn't planned on camping, no gear, no food. No problem for him, always happy and smiling.

Such a loss. Condolences to his family.

Go in peace my brother.

We were in my bmw car, he was trying to show me where is the auction place..."7araj" as he said it...apparently he forgot where is it exactly, and he lead me 20200 meters off the road, (guess tht was in his blood)...he forgot we were driving a 2 wheel drive salon.. It ended up tht we got stuck in a distant area somewhere after mussafah...200 or 300 meteres away than paved road...
Banna walked all the way out, and came back with more than 10 workers who wre apparently trying to sleep after their long day.. We had to deal with the car stucks for 2 hours till we reached the road! And he was laughing all the time!!!
And we said tht its fine, its just a memory to keep...

He was a good person indeed.