Your guide to off-roading in Dubai

• Off-roading in Dubai – the basics
• How to off-road in Dubai?
• Best spots for off-roaders in Dubai
• Renting an off-roading vehicle

Fancy a hair-raising ride across the golden dunes of the desert in a majestic four-wheel drive? The rolling desert landscape of the UAE and the thrill of off-roading go hand in hand. If you are a resident of Dubai or any of the other emirates in the UAE, you would have experienced or heard about the thrilling adventures of off-roading in Dubai. The rugged desert area makes the perfect terrain for this exciting motor sport. 

If you have never tried it out and want to enjoy a safe, yet exciting adventure, here is everything you need to know about off-roading in Dubai and how you can enjoy it.

OFF-ROADING IN DUBAI – THE BASICS

Off-roading in Dubai is one of those experiences that you simply cannot miss out on whether you are a resident or visitor. Most people hop into a four-wheel drive and take off to the deserts to conquer every terrain they come across. 

Apart from the traversing the desert landscape in four-wheel-drive vehicles, you can also enjoy off-roading by trying out quad biking and dune bashing. Dubai’s desert terrain is said to be one of the most challenging landscapes, even for the experienced off-roaders. Therefore, it is best that you get acquainted with the basic guidelines, especially if you are planning to get behind the wheel yourself.

One of the most important aspects of off-roading in Dubai is choosing the right vehicle. Generally these are the popular vehicles for off-road adventures in Dubai.

• Jeep Wrangler
• Toyota Land Cruiser
• Nissan Patrol
• Mitsubishi Pajero
• Land Rover Discovery
• Ford F-150 Raptor
• Mercedes-Benz G-Class
• Land Rover defender
• Dodge Ram
• Nissan Armada

Once you have the right vehicle, these are some of the basic rules or guidelines for off-roading in Dubai that you must keep in mind:

• You must have a well maintained and proper off-roading vehicle, preferably a 4×4.
• The tyres of your vehicle shouldn’t be worn out, otherwise, they won’t do well in the desert.
• You should have a full tank of fuel since the car burns a lot of fuel while you are off-roading.
• Your car’s cooling system should be immaculate, so the car doesn’t overheat and break down.
• You should have some basic desert off-roading accessories, such as a spare tyre, deflating device, air compressor, tow rope and shackle
• Make sure to have at least one more off-roading vehicle with you, to help you in case of a breakdown.
• Make sure to wear a seatbelt at all times and strap in your heavy equipment.

Here are some other essential items that you must have:

• Breakdown equipment, such as tool kit, shovel, jump leads, car jack
• Updated GPS and a service map
• Foot pump
• First aid kit
• Extra fuel
• Drinking water and snacks
• Mobile phone with car charger

HOW TO TRY OFF-ROADING IN DUBAI?

If you are interested in off-roading but don’t know how to get into it, worry not! If you want some professional guidance before you get behind the wheels of a 4×4, it is best to take an introductory off-roading course from a reputed institute, such as the Emirates Driving Institute. There are other driving institutes in Dubai as well that offer such courses for learning and performing off-roading safely. 

Moreover, there are a number of off-roading clubs, where you can find like-minded members with whom you can get in touch to learn more about the terrain and experience the thrill of off-roading.

To enrol yourself in off-road driving courses in Dubai, you need to have a valid UAE driver’s licence or International driving licence that must be at least 6 months old. Here are some of the best places for you to learn off-roading in Dubai:

EMIRATES DRIVING INSTITUTE

• Location: 13th Street, Al Qusais 1
• Fees: Starting from AED 700 – AED 800 per delegate
• Contact: +971-4-263-1100

GALADARI MOTOR DRIVING CENTRE

• Location: Al Qusais | Muhaisnah | Al Quoz
• Fees: Starting from AED 300 – AED 1200
• Contact: +971-4-267-6166 | +971-4-212-4666 | +971-4-404-3400

ARABIAN TOURS

• Location: Near ENOC Petrol Station, Dubai Hatta Road (E44)
• Fees: AED 1500 – AED 4500
• Contact: +971-56-222-8286

DUBAI OFFROADERS

• Location: Emarat Petrol Station, Al Awir Road
• Fees: AED 950
• Contact: 800-3337

BEST SPOTS FOR OFF-ROADERS IN DUBAI

There are many different spots for off-roading in Dubai, but some of them are hugely popular among experienced off-roaders. If you have just started out, you can choose the less rocky routes, so that you can slowly ease into the activity. 

The wadis in the UAE serve as some of the best spots for off-roaders but most of them restrict off-roading activities, which is why most off-roaders take to the desert region on the outskirts of Dubai. One popular spot for off-roaders in Dubai is along the Dubai-Hatta Road on the E44 highway. More advanced and experienced off-roaders can head over to Liwa near Abu Dhabi or Wadi Asimah near Ras Al Khaimah.

RENTING AN OFF-ROADING VEHICLE

If you want to experience off-roading but don’t have the right type of vehicle, you can always rent one. There are various types of off-road rent-a-car services in Dubai where you can rent out a sturdy 4×4 vehicle. These off-road car rentals in Dubai also have motorbikes and quads, so you can rent them out as well.

Those who are not confident enough to ride on their own, can head over to one of the off-roading companies or tour operators, which will arrange everything for them. You can simply hop into the vehicle and get a front-row seat to the exhilarating action.

These are the places from where you can rent a car for off-roading in Dubai:

OFFROAD ZONE

• Location: Street 8B, Al Quoz 1
• Average rent: AED 100 – AED 500
• Contact: +971-4-339-2449 | +971-4-339-2272

HERTZ

• Location: Dubai Airport Terminal 1 | Al Maktoum International Airport | Foxhill 8, Motor City
• Average rent: AED 200 – AED 750
• Contact: +971-4-224-5222 | +971-4-220-3013 | +971-4-206-0206

AVIS

• Location: Sheikh Zayed Road | JBR | Courtyard by Marriott Dubai
• Average rent: AED 500 – AED 1000
• Contact: +971-4-518-6833 | +971-4-518-6822 | +971-4-809-1000

And this concludes our guide to off-roading in Dubai. If you are intrigued by this, all you have to do is find an off-roading company or club, get yourself a nice 4×4, motorbike or dune buggy and take to the sandy terrain!

If you own a 4×4 and are looking for new tyres for your off-roading trips, you can find the best tyre shops in Dubai here. You can also read up on our blog of the best desert safari companies in Dubai, as well as quad biking in Dubai for more adventures in the desert.