Ahmad and Nora run BlueRex Offroad Rescue with a network of volunteers, helping drivers stuck in UAE deserts, mountains, beaches and other difficult terrain.
BlueRex Offroad Rescue has helped more than 6,000 stranded vehicles across the UAE since August 2024, with founders Ahmad and Nora responding to rescue calls without charging drivers.
A large SUV sinks axle-deep into a desert dune. Another vehicle gets trapped in mud after leaving the road. Somewhere along the coast, a car ends up submerged in seawater.
These are the situations that bring drivers to BlueRex Offroad Rescue.
Founded by Dubai-based couple Ahmad Hiskol and his wife Nora, the volunteer team helps motorists recover vehicles from deserts, mountains, beaches and other difficult terrain across the UAE.
Both Ahmad and Nora have full-time jobs. They use their weekends and public holidays to carry out rescues, often travelling long distances when someone needs help.
They do not charge for the service.
For Ahmad, the work began with a passion for off-roading. It later became a volunteer effort that has grown into a community of more than 200,000 followers on Instagram and a network of people willing to help stranded drivers.
How BlueRex Started
Ahmad had already spent years exploring the UAE’s off-road terrain and helping drivers whose vehicles became stuck.
The UAE floods of 2024 changed the scale of that work.
When heavy rainfall and flooding left vehicles stranded, Ahmad and Nora went out to help. They eventually assisted more than 100 vehicles, including cars trapped in flooded areas.
The experience convinced them that they could do more with the right equipment and preparation.
“We went out to help and ended up assisting more than 100 vehicles,” Ahmad said. “That experience was the turning point for me.”
After the floods, the couple expanded BlueRex’s presence on social media.
Their content now covers recent rescues, common mistakes, vehicle preparation and techniques that drivers can use to avoid getting stranded.
That educational work has become an important part of the project.
The goal is not simply to rescue people after something goes wrong. BlueRex also wants drivers to know how to prevent the problem in the first place.
More Than 6,000 Vehicles Rescued
Since launching in August 2024, BlueRex has assisted more than 6,000 vehicles.
Demand rises during the UAE’s cooler months, particularly on weekends and public holidays when more people head into the desert.
However, summer does not stop the rescue calls.
Temperatures can reach 45°C or higher, and drivers still venture into deserts, mountains and hilly areas. When vehicles become stranded in extreme heat, the situation can become dangerous quickly, particularly when occupants lack enough water or proper preparation.
BlueRex therefore treats every rescue as a safety operation rather than simply a vehicle recovery.
Some Rescues Start With a WhatsApp Message
Most drivers initially contact BlueRex through social media. The group also operates a dedicated phone and WhatsApp line for rescue cases.
The first step involves gathering information.
Ahmad asks drivers to send their exact location along with photos or videos of the vehicle and surrounding conditions. The information helps the team determine what went wrong and whether the driver can recover the vehicle without physical assistance.
Sometimes, the rescue never requires BlueRex to leave home.
A driver may have selected the wrong 4×4 setting, left the tyres overinflated or used an unsuitable driving technique. In those cases, the team can guide the driver through the recovery process by phone or WhatsApp.
The driver may then free the vehicle independently.
That approach saves time and teaches motorists how to deal with similar situations in the future.
When the Team Has to Go Out
If remote guidance cannot solve the problem, BlueRex sends a recovery vehicle to the location.
Distance can complicate that process. When Ahmad and Nora cannot reach a stranded driver quickly, they coordinate with trusted volunteers in the area.
Some recoveries take only a few minutes. Others require hours of physical work, multiple vehicles and careful coordination.
The terrain determines much of the difficulty.
Soft sand, steep slopes, mud and seawater each require different recovery techniques. The team has to assess the conditions before deciding how to extract a vehicle.
BlueRex Works With Dubai Police Volunteers
BlueRex is registered with Dubai Police as an official volunteer group.
Its role, however, has clear limits.
Drivers involved in accidents or situations involving injuries must contact the authorities immediately. BlueRex primarily assists motorists who have become stranded off-road while remaining safe and able to wait for vehicle recovery.
In some cases, Dubai Police officers have referred stranded motorists to BlueRex after receiving their calls.
That arrangement allows the volunteer team to focus on recovery while authorities handle emergencies involving accidents, injuries or other immediate threats to life.
The RAM 1500 Behind the Rescues
A 2015 RAM 1500 with a 5.7-litre HEMI V8 has become central to BlueRex’s recovery operations.
The truck has undergone extensive modifications for off-road and recovery work. Ahmad estimates that the modifications have cost as much as Dh100,000.
The RAM carries equipment including:
- A winch
- Recovery ropes and straps
- Rated recovery equipment
- Traction boards
- Shovels
- Tyre deflators
- Air compressors
- Lighting equipment
- Navigation and communication equipment
- Fire extinguishers
- Mechanical tools
- A spare tyre
- Water
- Charging and power equipment
But Ahmad says equipment alone does not make a recovery safe.
Drivers and rescuers need to understand how and when to use each piece of equipment. The wrong recovery technique can make a relatively simple situation more dangerous.
The RAM has also become part of BlueRex’s identity. Regular followers recognise it, and stranded motorists often associate its arrival with the end of a difficult situation.
Free Rescues Still Come With a Heavy Cost
BlueRex does not charge drivers, but the operation is far from cost-free.
During busy months, fuel alone can cost around Dh3,000 to Dh4,000. The team also pays for servicing, tyres, repairs and replacement recovery equipment.
Difficult recoveries can create much larger repair bills.
The couple covers these expenses themselves.
For Ahmad, however, the financial cost matters less than getting people safely back on the road.
The Rescue That Took Three and a Half Hours
After thousands of recoveries, one operation stands out as particularly difficult.
The team had to recover a vehicle that had become completely submerged in seawater near the shoreline.
The situation differed sharply from the desert rescues BlueRex normally handles.
The team faced limited visibility, difficult access and changing conditions. They used multiple vehicles and winches and had to coordinate every stage carefully.
The recovery took around three and a half hours.
Water recoveries also introduce risks that do not exist in ordinary sand recoveries. Conditions can change quickly, making constant assessment essential.
For BlueRex, safety remains the first priority.
Why Drivers Get Stuck in the UAE
Ahmad says one of the biggest mistakes drivers make is assuming they cannot get stuck.
Desert terrain can look firm from a distance while hiding extremely soft sand.
Some drivers do not even travel deep into the desert. They park with one set of wheels on soft sand near the roadside and watch the vehicle sink.
Other drivers enter the desert without preparing their vehicles.
Tyre pressure plays an important role in off-road driving. Drivers also need to understand when to use the correct 4×4 system and how their vehicle behaves on different surfaces.
Ahmad recommends carrying basic recovery equipment, including a shovel, tyre deflator and air compressor. Drivers should also carry enough water and keep their phones or power banks charged.
If a vehicle becomes stuck, he advises drivers not to panic or continue spinning the wheels.
Excessive wheelspin can dig the tyres deeper into the sand and turn a manageable recovery into a much harder one.
The Reward Is Getting People Home
The BlueRex team spends its free time doing work that most people would prefer to avoid.
They drive into difficult terrain, operate recovery equipment and accept the cost of maintaining a dedicated rescue truck. They do it without charging the people they help.
For Ahmad, the strongest reward comes when a stranded family finally gets back on the road.
Some drivers have already spent hours waiting when BlueRex arrives. They may be tired, worried and unsure about what to do next.
Seeing that relief after a successful recovery remains one of the reasons Ahmad and Nora continue.
BlueRex’s Lessons Travel Beyond the UAE
The impact of BlueRex extends beyond the vehicles it physically recovers.
The team’s rescue videos and educational content have reached audiences thousands of kilometres away.
Ahmad says people from countries including Australia, Kazakhstan, South Africa and the United States have contacted the team after using techniques they learned from BlueRex videos to free their own vehicles.
That gives the project another purpose.
A successful rescue solves one immediate problem. Teaching someone how to handle the same situation safely can prevent the next one.
For Ahmad and Nora, that distinction defines BlueRex Offroad Rescue. The mission is not simply to pull vehicles out of sand, mud or water. It is to help people get home safely, while giving drivers the knowledge to avoid becoming stranded again.
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Ahmad Hiskol with his wife, Nora, and daughter, Eva. The couple founded BlueRex Offroad Rescue, a volunteer team that rescues stranded vehicles from deserts and other challenging terrain, while also sharing off-roading videos and tips with their more than 200,000 Instagram followers.
Supplied/ Gulf News
