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Dirt biking at Jebel Ali
Dirt Bike Dubaiwith theMX-Academy
Dirt bike Dubai means two kinds of riding close together: a training track at Jebel Ali and the open desert beyond it. The MX-Academy Dubai gives you a light competition bike, fits your gear and shows you the next step, whatever your level.
Planning your trip from abroad? Dirt bike Dubai on mx-academy.com
Dirt bike Dubai: start on the track, finish in the sand
Riding a dirt bike in Dubai does not start in the dunes. At the MX-Academy Dubai the first stop is the DMX-Track Jebel Ali, a training ground near Mina Jebel Ali, Exit 13, with its own beginners' track. There you learn to control the bike on prepared ground, with a coach beside the track. Once the basics are in place, the desert becomes the next goal. Throughout the season the team rides nearly every day, sometimes at the track, sometimes out among the dunes.
The offer is aimed at anyone who wants to ride rather than watch: residents of Dubai, expats who grew up with motocross elsewhere, parents looking for an outdoor sport for their children and visitors with a few free days. You do not need your own bike, your own gear or any experience to begin, only the wish to learn and a date that suits you.
Light bikes, more control: why weight matters in the sand
Sand punishes weight. A Honda CRF250, the kind of competition bike used here, weighs around 110 kg, far lighter than a heavy travel enduro built for long distances. In soft ground you notice that in every turn: the light bike changes direction more willingly and is less tiring to hold when the sand gets deep. The result is more fun and more safety, which is why the MX-Academy Dubai sticks to competition dirt bikes on the track and in the desert.
Bikes are available in every size. Adults usually ride the KTM SX-F 250 or the Honda CRF250; for smaller riders there are the Honda CRF150, CRF110 and CRF70, the Yamaha PW50 and Torrot kids' bikes. Complete protective gear comes in all sizes, and you are welcome to use your own bike and kit. An hour of bike rental costs AED 450, track fee, fuel and water included. Without a coach, dirt bike rental in Dubai is open only to intermediate riders or to riders under supervision.
Every level welcome, from age four to race day
Racers, improving riders, complete beginners, girls and women all train here, and children can start from the age of four. Many people sit on a motorbike for the very first time at the MX-Academy Dubai, and a good number of them clear their first small jumps after one day. The gentle start is a 30-minute introduction course in a group: adults pay AED 500, children up to 12 pay AED 400. After that you can ride with your own group of friends, join one that is already booked or take an exclusive private lesson.
What you work on depends on where you stand. Beginners practise the basics: sitting and standing position, braking and accelerating, where the feet go and how much weight rests on the pegs, plus a smooth hand on the throttle. Advanced riders move on to jumping technique with preload and scrubbing, how to read a track, how to get a good start and the holeshot, how to ride ruts and where to look. Ambitious riders can follow long-term training with a training plan and fitness work. Course and coaching packages are described in full under motocross training in Dubai.
Into the dunes with experienced desert guides
For most riders the desert is the real goal. Seasoned desert riders, Mohammed Al Balooshi and Mohammed Jaffar among them, teach you to read the sand, pick the best line between the dunes, ride up and over them and, once you are ready, jump. You feel the hot wind on your face and hear the tyres working through the sand. Each group is formed according to riding skill and fitness, and an outing can be a few hours long or fill nearly the whole day; overnight tours are possible too.
The desert is never the first lesson. You need basic off-road and sand skills: riders without experience usually spend around three days on the track first, while for experienced riders one day of sand training is the minimum. After the track comes a gentler practice zone where the sand is shallower, then the bigger dunes, and nobody rides into the desert without preparation and a guide. Everything about the guided tour is explained under desert ride in Dubai.
Coming from Abu Dhabi or elsewhere in the UAE
If you were looking for dirt biking in Abu Dhabi, one thing first: the MX-Academy rides in Dubai, not in Abu Dhabi. Jebel Ali lies at the south-western end of Dubai, where Sheikh Zayed Road reaches the border with the emirate of Abu Dhabi. For riders from Abu Dhabi that means the track sits on their side of Dubai, and there is no need to cross the city to get there.
Riders from the other emirates are just as welcome, and so are friends and family who come to visit. From Switzerland it is around six hours in the air to Dubai, and the clocks here run two hours ahead of Swiss summer time and three ahead of Swiss winter time. Even a long weekend leaves room for one or two riding days plus some time for the beach, sightseeing and shopping.
Booking your dirt bike Dubai session
Choose a date that suits you. In the season two to three courses run every day of the week, so it is worth asking even at short notice. Let us know how well you ride, how many people are coming, how old any children are and whether bikes and gear are needed. Send it to info@mx-academy.ch or use the booking page; the phone and WhatsApp numbers are shown in the contact box, and answers in Arabic are possible too.
Chris Möckli – founder and owner, two-time European champion (IMBA Openclass 2004 and 2005) and winner of several Swiss championship titles – runs the Dubai school together with Mohammed Al Balooshi. Between them they bring motocross titles and desert rally experience and know the local terrain well, which shows in how the lessons are built: technique first, then the sand.
FAQ: Dirt Bike Dubai
Do I need my own bike for dirt biking in Dubai?
No. Competition dirt bikes in all sizes and complete protective gear can be hired at the MX-Academy Dubai. Bringing your own bike and kit is also fine.
Can complete beginners ride a dirt bike in Dubai?
Yes. Many riders start with no experience at all, often with the 30-minute introduction course, and quite a few manage their first small jumps after one day.
When am I ready to ride in the desert?
Riders new to the sport usually train around three days on the track first; with experience, plan at least a day in the sand. The desert is only ridden with a guide.
Does the MX-Academy offer dirt biking in Abu Dhabi?
No, the riding takes place in Dubai. Jebel Ali is at the south-western end of Dubai, close to the border with the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
From what age can children go dirt biking in Dubai?
From the age of four. Small bikes such as the Yamaha PW50, Honda CRF70 and Torrot kids' bikes can be rented, along with protective gear in all sizes.
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