Best UAE Driving Roads and Scenic Road Trips from Dubai (2026 Guide)

1. Jebel Jais Mountain Road (Ras Al Khaimah)

Jebel Jais is the highest mountain road in the UAE — the tarmac climbs high up the mountain’s flank, while the 1,934-meter summit itself sits just across the border in Oman. What makes the road worth the trip is the surface itself: more than 20 kilometers of smooth, well-maintained asphalt with two lanes climbing and one lane coming down, wide enough that its dozens of bends never feel cramped. It’s a free public road open to any registered car, though Ras Al Khaimah police close it temporarily after heavy rain or rockfalls, so it’s worth checking conditions before heading up in winter. A steady, confident pace in a well-sorted sports car is all this road asks for — there’s no need to push a rental car near its limits to enjoy it.

From Dubai, take the E311 or E611 north toward Ras Al Khaimah; the mountain base is roughly 170–180 kilometers away, about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours of driving. Fill up before the climb — there are no fuel stations on the mountain itself. At the top, the Jais Viewing Deck Park (AED 10 entry) has seven lookout points, and 1484 by Puro serves lunch at what’s billed as the country’s highest restaurant; the Jais Flight zipline is close by for anyone who wants a break from driving. A Ferrari F8 Spider — from AED 3,090 per day — rewards the smooth surface with real feedback through the bends, and a Porsche 911 or Ferrari 296 GTB is just as at home on this stretch of tarmac.

2. Jebel Hafeet Mountain Highway (Al Ain, Abu Dhabi)

Jebel Hafeet’s road is regularly named one of the best paved mountain roads anywhere, and it’s easy to see why once you’re on it: 11.7 kilometers, around 60 corners, three lanes (two up, one down), and guardrails the whole way to a summit near 1,249 meters. It was cut into the limestone in 1980 and has been resurfaced since, so the tarmac is in excellent condition. Cyclists use the climb heavily in the early morning, which means a measured pace and good visibility matter more here than outright speed.

The drive from Dubai runs south on the E66 (Dubai–Al Ain Road), covering roughly 140–160 kilometers in about 1.5 to 2 hours. Green Mubazzarah, a public hot-springs park, sits at the base, and the Oryx Grand Jebel Hafeet hotel (formerly the Mercure) occupies the summit — a fair spot for a coffee before the descent. This is exactly the kind of road a Porsche 911 GT3 RS was built for; its brakes and downforce make the long descent feel unhurried. For a more relaxed run over the same bends, powerful coupes like the Bentley Continental or the BMW M4 handle the sweepers with plenty of composure, and the Mercedes SL is a comfortable choice for the way back down.

3. Liwa Oasis and Moreeb Dune Drive (Rub’ al Khali)

The drive to Liwa is the UAE’s classic long-distance desert run: dunes on both sides of the road for the better part of four hours, with the Rub’ al Khali — the Empty Quarter — stretching south beyond the horizon. From Dubai, take the E11 south toward Abu Dhabi, then the E45 through Madinat Zayed to Liwa; the total is around 320–340 kilometers one way, roughly 3.5 to 4 hours. Note that Abu Dhabi’s Darb toll system added a gate on the E11 at Ghantoot in 2026 (AED 4, charged around the clock to every vehicle, rentals included) — drivers who’d rather skip it can take the E311 instead.

Fuel stations thin out past Madinat Zayed, so top up there or in Mezaira’a rather than risk running low on the final stretch. Tal Moreeb, one of the tallest dunes in the region, sits roughly 25 kilometers south of Mezaira’a and is reached on a paved approach road; the old Liwa forts and the Al Dhafra Fort & Museum are worth the short detour on the way. This is SUV territory: a Mercedes G63 shrugs off the crosswinds that sweep across the open highway, and a Toyota Land Cruiser or Land Rover Defender does the same job with a bit more room. Stay on the tarmac throughout — driving onto the sand itself voids the rental’s insurance cover, and the paved road already puts you right among the dunes.

4. Al Qudra Desert Road & Love Lakes (Dubai)

Al Qudra is the easy version of a desert trip — no overnight bag needed, just an hour or two after work or before dinner. The D63 road runs through the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, more than 40,000 hectares of protected desert, about 10% of Dubai’s total area, and it’s fully paved and open to any car, no 4×4 required. Arabian oryx and gazelles graze close to the road, so a lower speed through the reserve is worth it for their sake as much as for the photos.

From Downtown Dubai, the drive out via Al Qudra Road takes about 40–50 minutes for roughly 50–55 kilometers. The Love Lakes viewpoint, the 86-kilometer cycling track, and a handful of picnic spots make it easy to fill an evening, especially around sunset when the dunes shift from amber to deep red. It suits convertibles well: a Ferrari SF90 or a Ferrari Portofino with the roof down fits the mood, and a Rolls-Royce Cullinan or BMW 4 Series Convertible works just as well for a quieter pace. The SF90 starts from AED 3,490 per day if you want the car in the photo above.

5. Dubai to Hatta (E311/E611 → E102 → E44)

Hatta is a Dubai exclave surrounded by Sharjah, Oman and the Hajar Mountains, and the direct E44 road to it briefly crosses a short stretch of Omani territory near Al Madam, where foreign drivers have been turned back at the checkpoint. The straightforward way around this is to head north on the E311 or E611, join the E102 (Sharjah–Kalba Road) east past Shawka, then turn south onto the E44 toward Hatta — this keeps the whole trip inside the UAE. Total distance is around 120–135 kilometers, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the exact route taken.

The scenery shifts from flat gravel plains to rocky wadi walls as you approach Hatta Dam, where kayaks and paddleboards are available on the turquoise reservoir. The Hatta Heritage Village and Hatta Wadi Hub, with its zipline and mountain-bike trails, round out a half-day trip. A Nissan Patrol — from AED 690 per day — handles the wadi roads with room to spare, and a Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco or Audi Q8 are just as comfortable on this paved mountain route.

6. Fujairah & East Coast Drive (Khorfakkan Road)

Two roads reach the Gulf of Oman coast from Dubai’s side of the country. The Sheikh Khalifa Highway (E84) starts inland near Maleiha and cuts roughly 40 kilometers through the Hajar Mountains to Fujairah; the newer Sharjah–Khorfakkan Road runs 89 kilometers from Emirates Road through five tunnels — including the 2.7-kilometer Al Sidra tunnel, one of the longest mountain tunnels in the region — to Khorfakkan. Either way, plan on roughly 120–140 kilometers and 1.5 to 2.5 hours from Dubai, most of it on a smooth dual carriageway.

Once you’re on the coast, Al Badiyah Mosque (believed to date from the 15th or 16th century, and generally considered the oldest in the UAE), the Khorfakkan Amphitheatre, the Al Rafisah Dam picnic area and Snoopy Island for snorkeling are all within easy reach of each other. A Dodge Challenger makes an easy, relaxed cruiser for this coastal stretch, while a luxury sedan such as the Mercedes S-Class or a Rolls-Royce Ghost trades some character for a quieter, more cushioned ride on the highway sections.

Traffic on all of these routes falls under Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024, in force since 29 March 2025. It lowered the minimum driving age to 17, and penalties for serious violations — reckless driving, extreme speeding — now run up to AED 200,000, with the possibility of vehicle impoundment or arrest. None of the roads above call for anything close to that: every one described here is a public road built for ordinary traffic, not a closed circuit.

Radar covers all of these routes. Abu Dhabi removed its old speed buffer back in 2018, so on the roads to Jebel Hafeet and Liwa the posted limit is the limit — there’s no cushion above the number on the sign. Dubai and the Northern Emirates are widely understood to allow some margin before a radar triggers, but that margin isn’t a legal allowance, and driving to the posted number rather than the camera’s threshold is the safer habit everywhere. See our guide to speeding fines in Dubai for current limits and penalties before you head out.

Salik, Dubai’s toll system, charges automatically at ten gates around the city — on roads like Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Ittihad Road and Business Bay. None of them sit on the E311 or E611, so a trip out to Ras Al Khaimah, Al Ain or Hatta may not cross a Salik gate inside Dubai at all. Wherever you do pass a gate, the toll is billed to the vehicle and settled by the renter separately, the same way fuel and traffic fines are — it isn’t included in Brook Drive’s daily rate. Heading toward Abu Dhabi and Liwa on the E11, there’s also the newer Darb toll gate near Ghantoot, charged the same way. Our breakdown of Dubai’s toll roads covers current rates in detail.

Before any long mountain or desert drive, check tyre pressure and let the car idle for a minute before pushing on — UAE summers are hard on cooling systems between May and September. Basic insurance is included in Brook Drive’s daily rate, but any damage, even a small scrape in a car park, needs a police report before a claim can be filed. Bring your required rental documents, and plan these trips between late October and April if your schedule allows — the cooler air makes every stop along the way far more enjoyable.