Having arrived by ferry in Tangier on 7th January, the Overland 12 convoy crossed Morocco along the Atlantic coast visiting the most important and fascinating Moroccan cities: from the capital city, Rabat to Dakhla, passing El Jadida, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Rabat, the Overland team visited the Children's Hospital where they met with doctors and children in the department for the treatment of thalassemia, who were able to view at close range the special orange liveried IVECO vehicles.

After passing the lunar-like rocky desert south of Morocco, the Overland 12 convoy finally entered into Mauritania, passing through the difficulties caused by strong winds blowing among the first sand dunes of the desert without incident. Arriving in Nouadhibou, the "Overland 12" team witnessed the unique spectacle of the largest ships graveyard in the world.

The Iveco vehicle convoy covered the next 474 kilometres across the desert, in temperatures reaching 35° C, continuing on to Mauritania's capital Nouakchott, which with its 800,000 inhabitants, is the largest town in the Sahara.

Following a stop in the capital. The expedition continued on to Kiffa in the heart of the Mautitanian desert and second most important conurbation in the country. The road linking Nouakchott to Kiffa is called the "Road of Hope" or "Transmauritana", 1100 km of metalled road in the desert, from the capital to Nema.

With sunny weather and consistently high temperatures, the men of the Overland 12 expedition and the convoy of Iveco vehicles crossed the awe inspiring sandy desert, overcoming a steep path, both geographically and in terms of the climate, on the way to Mali.