Woman lost in the middle of Dubai desert decided to call an Uber — a camel arrived instead

The world around us can present unexpected and random challenges, yet it is this unpredictability that brings delightful surprises as well. There is a common notion that when we find ourselves stuck, all we need to do is look for signs from the universe. In one such instance, two women recently got lost in the middle of a desert in Dubai before they were finally rescued by a special humpbacked ride. A local travel agency, Jetset Dubai—who goes by @jetset.dubai on Instagram—posted a video showing two women, supposedly tourists, booking an Uber camel to find their way out of nowhere.

The incident occurred at Al Badayer, near the Dubai-Hatta road, earlier in October, as noted in the video's caption. Little did they know that the smartphones they were carrying would lead to a vintage solution for their modern problem. The women turned to the Uber app for assistance, and soon a man arrived with the "ship of the desert." One of the group members was amused by the sight and exclaimed, "We got lost and ordered a camel!"

The widely circulating video on social media that has garnered over three million views further showed that the Uber camel charged a fair and square 50 dirhams ($13.61) for the ride. “This is unbelievable! We're lost in the middle of the desert, so we called this enormous camel,” the other woman present there was heard saying. Through the transportation company’s app, the duo highlighted that they could also book an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or desert quad bike.

When the driver arrived at the designated location with his camel, he tried to reassure the tourists about their safe return. One of the women, curious to know more about him, asked for a brief introduction. He introduced himself as Rifak and shared his motivation for being a camel driver. “I’m assisting people who are lost, and you can also place an order online. You can get anything you need, even if you're lost here in the desert,” he said.

As Rifak asked the women to follow him, the camel knelt down on its own, following the standard procedure used in rescue missions. The camel appeared well-trained for such situations. Moments later, one of the two women mounted the camel, marking the end of the one-minute and two-second video. The video received thousands of likes and comments on the platform.

@abokhyri said, “For safety reasons, make sure to check the number plate though.” @charita_tv advised, “I hope you gave him a 5-star review on Uber.” Offering a different perspective, @djslimfit_ remarked, “At that speed, I think you could walk too, instead of disturbing the poor camel, it's hot for her too.” @goldsgang added, “Next time, consider choosing the 'Double Hump Camel' option when booking, known as CamelXL. It's a bit more expensive but offers a stable ride with a ‘Humper-to-Humper’ warranty.” Others praised the camel driver for being dedicated to his job. Sometimes, even in the most difficult situations, help can come in the most amusing and unexpected ways.

You can follow Jetset Dubai (@jetset.dubai) on Instagram for more travel-related content.