Al Wathba Cycle Track — Map, Loops & Facts

Routes & loops

Al Wathba's signature is choice. Five loops share one trailhead: 8 and 16 km circuits signed for beginners and families, and 20, 22 and 30 km loops that roll deeper into the dunes for stronger riders — chain them and a 60–90 km training morning builds easily. Unlike pancake-flat Al Qudra, Al Wathba rolls: the loops ride through genuine desert contours, which makes the 30 km circuit a proper workout rather than just a long spin. The setting is pure Abu Dhabi outback — camels training on the neighbouring racecourse at dawn, dunes to the horizon — and the whole network is bicycle-only. Solar lighting along the track means the after-dark session is a first-class option, not a compromise, and in summer it's the only sensible one.

Getting there

The track sits in the Al Wathba district roughly 40 km southeast of Abu Dhabi city — reckon 40 to 50 minutes' drive via the E22 (Al Ain road), next to the Al Wathba camel race track. There is no practical public transport; it's private car or ride-hailing, with free parking at the trailhead. Coming from Dubai, it's about 90 minutes via the E11/E22, which makes a dawn-ride-plus-flamingos day trip realistic in season.

Rentals & facilities

The on-site rental shop, Besport (run with Front Line Sports), is the only operator at the track: aluminium and hybrid bikes around AED 30 an hour, carbon road bikes around AED 60, kids' bikes and trailers available, helmets included. Mind the hours — on weekdays the shop opens at 4 pm (running to 10 pm), while weekends run 6:30 am to 10 pm, so a midweek sunrise ride means bringing your own bike. The trailhead covers the essentials: changing rooms with showers, lockers, toilets and shaded pergolas near the lake. Like every desert track, carry more water than you think you need — facilities cluster at the start, not out on the loops.

What riders should know

Rider knowledge — community consensus (rider guides, Tripadvisor reviews), not official information.

The rhythm here mirrors Al Qudra: October to April is the season, weekend mornings bring the crowds and the pacelines, and summer riding compresses to dawn and the floodlit evening hours. The rolling profile catches out riders who pace off flat-track numbers — save something for the back half of the 30 km loop, where the contours and the prevailing wind usually conspire. The wildlife pairing is the bit visitors remember: the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, a short drive away, hosts over 4,000 greater flamingos between roughly September and April (free entry, open season 1 Oct–30 Apr, Tue–Sat 08:00–18:00) — ride at sunrise, flamingos by mid-morning, brunch in the city. Al Qudra riders will feel instantly at home; Al Wathba is the same desert formula with hills.