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Cycling along multi-lane highways from a fab oasis to a ghost town and onto the spectacle that is Dubai.
Al-Ain (Abu Dhabi) – Al -Madam (Sharjah) – Dubai
260 km cycled
New Year 2024
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Hard act to follow
Our couple of weeks cycling in Oman were going to be a hard act to follow, but being so close to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), we were curious to visit and so we booked our homeward bound flight from the Disneyland that is Dubai.
First impression
The border town, Al-Ain, offers what you would expect from an oasis and so much more. Bordering Oman’s arid desert, this garden city is a real cultural centre in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, giving us a wonderful first impression of the United Arab Emirates. The lush vegetation and cultural treasures won us over.
The dark side of life
Parallel to the six-lane motorway northbound from Al Ain there is a sand track following the UAE-Oman border. A high electric fence topped with coils of razor wire as well as numerous CCTV and search light installations create a real hostile frontier feel. Police patrols ensure anyone entering this sensitive area is escorted back to the highway, as we were.
You might wonder why. Well, the simple answer is smuggling. And it’s not alcohol or counterfeit goods that cross this border illegally, but people. Human trafficking is a huge problem in this part of the world, with both countries relying on guest workers to keep their economies booming. The expat population in Dubai alone stands at 88%.
Taking your chances on this high-security fence with a seemingly endless barren desert stretching east on the other side can only signify one thing: DESPERATION. The dark side of life on the ground was slowly coming to light.
Failed experiment
Our overnight stop en route to Dubai was Al Madam in the Emirate of Sharjah. Conveniently positioned about halfway, the town drew our attention because of its ghost town. This stems from a nationwide project to house the local semi-nomadic Bedouin population in the 1970s, which resulted in the construction of box-like dwellings forming villages throughout the UAE.
Well, the deserted ghost village in Al-Madam is testimony to the fact that the needs of the Bedouins were of least consideration in this top-down decision to modernise the country and its inhabitants. The lack of electricity and running water, as well as poor consideration of the prevailing winds and shifting sands caused the Bedouins to move on, leaving such ghost towns as a reminder of this failed experiment.
Dune bashing
Just as we settled into our wild camp outside the ghost town of Al Madam, the roaring of engines commenced. The dune bashers had arrived. This thrilling, exhilarating, adrenaline-pumping adventure offered by numerous tour companies in the area is basically a desert safari in which you are tossed and turned as you tear up and down the shifting sands at high speed in a beach buggy or 4×4, presumably trying not to roll over! For some reason, we didn’t feel the need to partake and happily enjoyed our last campsite as the sun went down.
12-lane highway
It was another 90km into Dubai. The dual-carriageway leaving Al Madam gradually evolved into a 12-lane highway about 30km before our final destination. And just after our idea of jumping on the metro was jeopardised because of a bicycle ban, our navigation app found a wonderful bicycle track. What a joy! The rest of the stretch was zig-zagging in and out of suburbia, along footpaths, crossing multilane carriageways and finally taking a cyclists’ lift up to the Infinity Bridge and crossing the Dubai Creek into the historical neighbourhood. Thank you Komoot!
The spectacle
Dubai is certainly a spectacle, and no trip would be complete without marvelling at the world’s tallest building: Burj Khalifa, standing at 828m. The sound and light shows are pretty impressive … and then the fountains begin!
A man on a mission!
Kurt was craving a beer, and the 52nd floor of the Marriott Hotel came up trumps with a view of the harbour and Palms area thrown in for good measure.
Heritage area
Kurt’s choice to stay in the historical area at the Dubai Creek was a clever one. This laid-back area is full of low-key international restaurants and is just a short boat ride away from the famous gold and spice markets. What made Darina’s day in the spice market was the Afghani who greeted her in Irish with Dia duit. Conas atá tú? (Hello. How are you?)
A blast from the past!
Darina’s locally based Irish friend Maeve gave us a great insight into life in the UAE as well as a few tips about what Dubai has to offer and how to avoid the maddening crowd! It is possible 😉
Bike tracks
On Maeve’s advice, we spent a morning on the bikes to check out one of the city’s most recent developments: the Jumeirah cycling track. Following Jumeirah beach from the iconic Burj al Arab building, it is very scenic and well signposted, but once you leave the beach area there are all sorts of obstacles to overcome including parked cars and high kerbstones.
The 16km bike lane clearly targets locals who drive to one of the nearby carparks and unload their bikes to do the pristine beach stretch, but it would need considerable tweaking to make it commuter friendly. It is incidentally part of the Dubai Urban Plan 2040, aiming to make Dubai the best city in the world to live in!
Rules and regulations
Everything seems to be regulated in Dubai. There are rules and regulations for the beach, the bike track, the metro and pretty much every public space. The metro even boasts a children and child carriage and you’ll be told in no uncertain terms to move along if you don’t fit into this category.
Hospitality
The pace in Dubai is a whole lot faster than in Oman so there were less opportunities to chat to locals. That said, we had numerous pleasant exchanges with Sub-continentals and other ex-pats working there. With Emiratis accounting for a mere 12% of the population, we felt privileged to meet and chat one, who incidentally paid our bill in a roadside shop.
Food
During our short stay, we enjoyed authentic Indian and Nepalese dishes costing 15-25 Dirhams (4-6 Euros) per main course.
Accommodation
Four-star hotels/guest houses cost about 60 Euros for a very comfortable and spacious en-suite room.
The verdict!
The UAE and its multi-lane highways are undoubtedly built with cars in mind. While we did enjoy our stops, the hectic roads joining the dots were a far cry from the quiet experience we enjoyed in Oman. Dubai itself is the crazy artificial superficial Disneyland we had expected. We’ve been there, done that and although we didn’t buy the t-shirt, we probably won’t be going back!
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