Al Ain Cycle Track: Map, Loops & Facts
The Al Ain Cycle Track is the Garden City's flagship riding venue: a 23 km dedicated loop whose refurbishment was completed in November 2023. It is free, open 24 hours with no registration needed, mostly solar-lit, and has an on-site rental shop, and it carries race pedigree as home of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council's Al Ain Cycle Track Classic. Its real magic is the company it keeps: Jebel Hafeet, an 11.7 km climb rated among the world's great road ascents, rises from the city's edge, and the UNESCO-listed Al Ain Oasis offers shaded family riding under 147,000 date palms.
Key facts
- Main loop
- 23 km dedicated loop (development works completed Nov 2023)
- Hours
- Open 24/7
- Entry cost
- Free, no membership or registration
- Lighting
- Solar lighting on most of the loop, some unlit mid-sections reported
- Bike rental
- On-site rental shop
- On our map
- ≈8 km traced so far, full 23 km loop being added
- Facilities
- Water stations, toilets, seating, fitness stations, parking (reported)
- Racing
- Hosts the Al Ain Cycle Track Classic (Abu Dhabi Sports Council)
- Nearby climb
- Jebel Hafeet: 11.7 km, one of the world's great road ascents
- Family option
- Al Ain Oasis: lit, shaded trails through 147,000 date palms
- Best time
- Oct–Apr · dawn or night riding in summer
Verified against the sources below (desk research, location pin and full loop trace pending). Facts we have not confirmed on the ground are left out until we ride the track.
The loop
Al Ain's cycle track is the emirate's quiet achiever: a 23 km dedicated loop, refreshed in works completed in November 2023, that runs 24/7, costs nothing, and asks for no registration: turn up and ride. Solar lighting covers most of the circuit, though riders report unlit mid-sections on the longer stretches, so run proper lights for night laps. The Abu Dhabi Sports Council stages the Al Ain Cycle Track Classic here, which tells you the surface and layout hold up to race speed. One honesty note about our map: OpenStreetMap has only about 8 km of the loop traced so far, so the embed on this page shows a partial picture while we trace the rest. The full loop is 23 km on the ground.
Getting there
Al Ain sits about 90 minutes from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi city, making the track a legitimate day-trip ride from either. On the track's precise trailhead our sources genuinely disagree: the official Visit Al Ain listing places it at Ghafat Al Shwaihi, while other guides describe a start near Green Mubazzarah at the foot of Jebel Hafeet, so navigate by searching “Al Ain Cycle Track” in your maps app rather than trusting any single written address, and we've flagged the pin for our own field verification. Parking is reported at the track.
Beyond the loop: why riders come to Al Ain
The track is the warm-up; Al Ain's real gift to cyclists is variety no other UAE city matches. Jebel Hafeet rises straight off the city's southern edge: 11.7 km of switchbacked tarmac routinely listed among the world's great road climbs, and the region's only chance to climb for an hour. At the opposite end of the effort scale, the UNESCO World Heritage Al Ain Oasis threads lit, shaded paths beneath 147,000 date palms: 24-hour riding with rentals, and the best family pedal in the country. Add the Al Ain Zoo's 3, 6 and 9 km MTB loops and you have a genuine long-weekend cycling destination: loop day, climb day, recovery spin in the oasis.
What riders should know
Rider knowledge: community consensus (rider reviews, local guides), not official information.
Al Ain runs hotter than the coast in summer but cools faster on winter nights. The inland desert climate rewards dawn starts October through April and makes December mornings genuinely cold-handed. The 23 km loop's unlit mid-sections matter more here than at city tracks: there's little ambient light, so a strong front light is kit, not caution. If Jebel Hafeet is on the plan, ride it early: the road is open to cars and traffic builds with the day; carry all your water as there's nothing on the climb. And treat the Classic's race calendar as a heads-up: on event days the loop belongs to the racers. For flat desert kilometres closer to the capital, Al Wathba is en route back to Abu Dhabi.
From riders
No rider notes yet. Rode it lately? Tell the next rider what to expect.
FAQ
How long is the Al Ain cycle track?
The dedicated loop is 23 km, following development works completed in November 2023. Our live map currently shows about 8 km. The full loop is still being traced into OpenStreetMap. (Sources: Time Out Abu Dhabi, Visit Al Ain.)
Is the Al Ain cycle track free and always open?
Yes, it's free, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no membership or registration required. (Sources: Visit Al Ain, Property Finder.)
Where exactly is the track?
The official listing places it at Ghafat Al Shwaihi in Al Ain, though some guides describe a start near Green Mubazzarah at Jebel Hafeet's base. Search “Al Ain Cycle Track” in your maps app for the pin, we're field-verifying the trailhead.
Can I rent a bike at the Al Ain cycle track?
An on-site rental shop exists per the official listing; verified prices aren't published. The Al Ain Oasis also rents bikes for its shaded trails. (Source: Visit Al Ain.)
Is the track lit at night?
Mostly: solar lighting covers the majority of the loop, but riders report unlit mid-sections on the longer stretches, so carry a strong front light for night laps. (Source: World's Coolest Winter.)
What else can I ride in Al Ain?
Jebel Hafeet's 11.7 km climb, one of the world's most celebrated road ascents, plus the lit, shaded Al Ain Oasis trails (24 hours, rentals available) and the Al Ain Zoo's 3/6/9 km MTB loops. (Source: Visit Al Ain.)
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