• Sand blaster Munkaila Alidu from Ghana is learning the trade. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National
    Sand blaster Munkaila Alidu from Ghana is learning the trade. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National
  • A vintage VW minibus and an ex-US military Humvee wait to be blasted at EP Blast’s facility in Dubai Investments Park .
    A vintage VW minibus and an ex-US military Humvee wait to be blasted at EP Blast’s facility in Dubai Investments Park .
  • The bodywork of a vintage car waits inside the blasting cabinet to be blasted and restored to former glory.
    The bodywork of a vintage car waits inside the blasting cabinet to be blasted and restored to former glory.
  • Master blaster Daniel Rausch wears a protective blasting suit that enables the operator to operate in the harsh environment that blasting creates.
    Master blaster Daniel Rausch wears a protective blasting suit that enables the operator to operate in the harsh environment that blasting creates.
  • A US Military Humvee bonnet lies in front of a portable sand blasting unit that is used for on site jobs.
    A US Military Humvee bonnet lies in front of a portable sand blasting unit that is used for on site jobs.
  • A blasters helmet lies on the floor while the operator takes a break.
    A blasters helmet lies on the floor while the operator takes a break.
  • Since the blasting media cannot all be collected by extraction fans, the majority of it is swept up afterwards and brooms are in high demand.
    Since the blasting media cannot all be collected by extraction fans, the majority of it is swept up afterwards and brooms are in high demand.
  • Alidu works on a vintage car inside the blasting cabinet wearing a special sand blasting suit with a separate air supply to protect him from the blasting media.
    Alidu works on a vintage car inside the blasting cabinet wearing a special sand blasting suit with a separate air supply to protect him from the blasting media.
  • Alidu works on a vintage car inside the blasting cabinet.
    Alidu works on a vintage car inside the blasting cabinet.
  • The front right rear well of a vintage car that is half blasted and cleaned exposing the metal.
    The front right rear well of a vintage car that is half blasted and cleaned exposing the metal.
  • Alidu works on a vintage car inside the blasting cabinet.
    Alidu works on a vintage car inside the blasting cabinet.
  • Blasting media, paint and dust hang in the air after a job is completed.
    Blasting media, paint and dust hang in the air after a job is completed.

Motoring

Meet the sand blasters of Dubai – in pictures

EP Blast Advanced Surface is a company in Dubai Investments Park that specialises in surface restoration

The National

January 23, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

Sand blaster Munkaila Alidu, from Ghana, works at EP Blast Advanced Surface, a company in Dubai Investments Park that specialises in surface restoration. Sand blasting is a technique that uses high-pressure pumps to blast materials, removing rust, oxidation or paint from a surface that needs to be restored.

The team has worked on everything from industrial gas turbines to small bedside lamps. General manager Piotr Karykowski says: "We've even blasted an old race car that had competed in the actual F1." The National's photographer Antonie Robertson shot these incredible images inside the company's warehouse on a manual Mamiya RZ67 medium format camera.

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