A convoy of three 4x4s with dune flags crossing golden dunes in the UAE at sunset

Find your first desert drive in the UAE.

Every UAE off-road spot on one map, graded Beginner to Advanced. Know what you're driving into.

The OffroadPal app's live map: a satellite view of dune country with Big Red marked by a pin, a convoy and record control across the top, and Locate, 3D and SOS buttons down the right-hand side
Download OffroadPal on the App Store Join the Android test

Free on iPhone. The Android test installs today from Google Play. The map, spots, convoys and SOS stay free.

Grades are indicative, not a measurement.

What the app does

See everything the app does →

A real spot

Here's one spot, in full

Read straight from our own guide for this place — one of the 19 we've written from our own drives.

Wind-carved dune curves and old tracks in the Al Badayer interior

Al Badayer

Sharjah — Central Region, on the higher plateau of Al Madam, along the E44 Dubai–Hatta road

Beginner Access: FREE

Difficulty here is indicative, not a measurement. Wind, heat and traffic change a dune between one weekend and the next.

Season
October to April; commercial operators run to the same window, and the seasonal desert camps run October to March
Vehicle
The strip works for anyone (rentals operate there). Club drives into the interior require a real 4x4 with front and rear tow points and roughly 10 inches of clearance — their rule, worth copying
In practice
Beginner at the strip and its enclosed areas — the interior sand-mountain country is where clubs bring experienced drivers
Read the full Al Badayer guide → See the UAE spot guides →

Who it's for

Anyone in the UAE who has sat in traffic in a Land Cruiser, a Patrol or a new Chinese 4x4 and thought "I should take this into the desert. But I don't know where to start."

Never been off-road

You get spots near you marked Beginner, a clear list of what to bring, and people to drive with. No WhatsApp group full of acronyms you have to decode first.

Already driving

Proper offline maps, spot details from real UAE drives, and your friends live on the map when you drive together. You move up a tier as you claim more spots, so you can see how far you've come.

How it works

Three steps to your first desert drive.

  1. Get the app and open the map. Real off-road spots near you, each one marked Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced. Filter to Beginner and pick one close by.
  2. Download that area before you drive out. The map, the spots and where you are on it keep working with no signal. Add a friend to your convoy if you have one, so you're not out there alone.
  3. Claim the spot when you arrive. That's your first one — points, a streak, and a tier that climbs from there.

Get the app

The app is free on iPhone. Install it, pick a spot near you, and claim it when you arrive.

Free on iPhone.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an expensive 4x4 to start off-roading in the UAE?

You do need a capable 4x4 with low-range or a proper off-road mode, and you should air your tyres down for soft sand. You do not need a heavily modified vehicle. Every spot tells you its grade and what the drive needs — the vehicle, the convoy, the experience — so you can pick one that suits you and your car.

Is OffroadPal free?

Yes. You can download OffroadPal and use the main features for free: the map, Beginner spots near you, your first offline area, the SOS button that shares your location, convoy mode, and the points and tiers you earn as you go. There is an optional Pro tier for drivers who want more. You never have to pay to take your first desert drive.

Does the app work without phone signal in the desert?

Yes, and that's the point. Download your area while you still have signal. After that the map, your spots and where you are on it keep working with no signal at all. Signal drops fast out in the desert, and that's exactly when you need to know where you are.

Is OffroadPal only for the UAE?

Today every spot in OffroadPal is in the UAE — real local places, details written for desert driving, and the right time of year for driving here. It is not a global hiking app with the UAE added on at the end.

I've never been off-road and I don't know anyone who does it. Can I still use it?

Yes. That's exactly who OffroadPal is built for. You get spots near you marked Beginner, a simple checklist of what to bring, and short guides in the app written for people on their first drives. If you want a proper start, our beginner desert driving course teaches you in your own car with an instructor. You don't have to figure it out alone.

Which phones does OffroadPal work on?

OffroadPal is free on iPhone now. The Android test build installs today through Google Play — tap "Join the Android test" and it walks you through it.

Where to drive next weekend.

Every time we publish a UAE spot guide you get it by email — the grade, when to go, and what the drive needs from your car. Course dates go to this list before we post them anywhere else.

By signing up you agree to receive the OffroadPal newsletter by email: new UAE spot guides, course dates and app news. That's the only use — unsubscribe anytime, instantly.

Built in Dubai by a driver who's out in these spots every weekend.

Three 4x4s with dune flags lined up on a dune crest in the UAE desert

Real spots. Real drivers. Every weekend.

Pick a spot and go.

Free on iPhone. The map, the spots, convoys and SOS stay free.

Download OffroadPal on the App Store Join the Android test