A British tourist who ran up Dh175,000 in speeding penalties driving a Lamborghini supercar through Dubai has agreed to pay the fine.
Farah Hashi, 25, from Newport in Wales, made headlines around the world after being caught speeding 33 times in four hours while on holiday in the emirate.
The father-of-one hired the Dh1.3 million canary-yellow supercar from a rental company in the city on July 30.
And by the early hours of that same evening, radar traps clocked him driving up to 230kph – nearly twice the permitted speed limit.
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The speeding tourist:
Dubai tourist rents Dh1.3m Lamborghini and racks up Dh175,000 in fines in four hours
Found: Lamborghini at centre of British tourist's Dh170,000 speeding fines
Stand-off continues in case of British tourist who racked up Dh170,000 in fines
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On Thursday, Mohammed Ibrahim, who runs Saeed Ali Rent a Car, from which Mr Hashi rented the vehicle, told The National he had met with Mr Hashi at the police traffic department to resolve the dispute.
He said he will be able to collect his car after Mr Hashi, who has been forced to extend his stay in the emirate by more than a week, agreed to pay a discounted sum of just over Dh117,000.
“I met Mr Hashi at the traffic department as we wanted to bring an end to this issue before everyone breaks for Eid,” Mr Ibrahim said.
“He spoke to officials and they reached a deal over the final sum of the fines.”
Mr Hashi was caught speeding 32 times on Sheikh Zayed Road and once on Garn Al Sabkha Street between 2.31am and 6.26am on July 31. Many of the fines were only minutes apart and two occurred within 60 seconds.
Following the incident, the rental company received a notification for fines totalling Dh175,000. Fearing they would be unable to force Mr Hashi into paying the sum, the owners refused to collect the Lamborghini until the dispute was settled.
Since then, Mr Hashi has remained at the Five Palm Jumeirah Hotel and Resort in Dubai.
It is thought he has been unable to exit the country after leaving his passport with the hire company as part of the rental agreement.
“I am free to collect the car and take it to a service centre,” Mr Ibrahim said.
Mr Hashi had given no indication if he planned to stay in Dubai or return to the UK, he added.
The Lamborghini Huracan has a top speed of 323kph and can accelerate from 0-100kph in 3.4 seconds. The supercar was nowhere to be seen at the hotel on Thursday and staff there refused to confirm whether or not Mr Hashi had checked out.
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Speeding supercars: The world's biggest traffic fines
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This Dh1.3 million Lamborghini was used to clock up Dh170,000 of traffic fines in less than four hours in Dubai. Saeed Ali Rent a Car -
A 37-year-old Swede driving a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, like this one pictured at the 2009 Dubai International Motor Show, faced a fine of a million Swiss francs (Dh3.7m) in 2010. He piloted his two-seater at speeds of up to 290kph in Switzerland, 170kph over the limit, in a country that employs means-tested fines. Kareem Halfawi / The National -
While no conclusive proof has been found that this incident definitely happened aside from a brief reference by Jeremy Clarkson, the story goes that a Koenigsegg CCX was clocked at 390kph in a 120kph zone during the 2003 Gumball 3000 rally in Texas. The damage: depending on who you believe, as much as US$650,000 (Dh2.4m). The car is certainly capable, with a top speed of 395kph. Koenigsegg -
A Swiss millionaire also fell foul of his country's earnings-related fines system in 2010 when he was caught driving a red Ferrari Testarossa like this one through a village at 137kph. While the was 'only' 57kph above the speed limit, previous offences and his estimated net worth of more than US$20m saw him fined 299,000 francs (Dh1.1m). Jeffrey E Biteng / The National -
Also in Finland, businessman Reima Kuisla's €6.5m salary earned him a ticket of more than €54,000 (Dh230,119) in 2015 when he was nabbed for doing 103kph in a 80kph area. 'Finland is impossible to live in for certain kinds of people who have high incomes and wealth,' he ranted, to the sympathy of absolutely nobody. The model and make of his car wasn't reported. AFP -
Two-wheeled speed nuts haven't been immune from massive fines, such as Anssi Vanjoki, a Nokia director at the time of his €116,000 (Dh494,159) penalty in 2002 for riding his Harley-Davidson motorbike at 75kph in a 50kph zone in Helsinki. It was based on 14 days of his income. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Attempting to weasel out of a speeding ticket is rarely a good move, as one Audi R8 driver from Britain found out in 2015. David Pickup took the police to court after his German sports car was recorded at 163kph, more than 50kph above the limit. The prosecution rented an airfield to prove his guilt and after losing the case, Pickup picked up a bill equivalent to about Dh64,000. Audi -
In 2010, the unfortunate owner of a yellow Lamborghini Gallardo in Australia didn't land a fine as sizeable as the Huracan renter in Dubai, but he makes the list for having his car impounded while it was in a garage for repair. An unscrupulous mechanic took it for a joyride and was caught at more 160kph in a 90kph zone. Getty
