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Riders, coaches and desert guides
MX-Academy Dubai TeamtheRiders
Meet the MX-Academy Dubai team: Emirati Red Bull athlete Mohammed Al Balooshi, coach and desert guide Mohammed Jaffar, and Mario Apel, who helps you plan your stay. On the track and in the sand you ride with people who know the area.
Mohammed Al Balooshi: Emirati motocross and rally rider
Born in Dubai, Mohammed Al Balooshi is a Red Bull athlete in motocross and desert rallying. He came to the sport fairly late and only started riding seriously at around 20. After intensive training he quickly made a name for himself at home. As UAE motocross champion he won the first Arab Motocross Championship in 2009, added the Asian Supercross title that same year and kept his Arab crown in 2010.
In 2012 he became the first Emirati to ride a motorbike in the Dakar Rally. Injuries cut that debut short, but he returned and reached the finish in 2018 and 2019, then again in 2022 and 2023. This experience from long days in the dunes is what he brings along when he guides a desert ride with the MX-Academy Dubai team.
Four FIM Bajas World Cup titles, the latest in 2025
In 2018 Mohammed Al Balooshi won the FIM Bajas World Cup for motorcycles and became the first Arab rider to take a world title in an FIM off-road series. He won the series again in 2023 and sealed it by winning the season finale, the Dubai International Baja. One year later he finished second at the Dubai event, which was enough for his third title. In 2025 he took a record fourth, with third place overall in Dubai and a win in the veterans' class.
Both trophy photos on this page come from the Dubai International Baja 2024. In the large picture at the top, Mohammed lifts two trophies from that event. The photo in this section shows Mario Apel with the trophy for the 1st Team Award of the FIM Bajas World Cup, also from the Dubai International Baja 2024.
Motocross coaches in Dubai for every level
On the track you learn from experienced riders. Mohammed Jaffar works as a coach and guide, and Mohammed Al Balooshi also trains young riders at MX Ride Dubai in Margham, the second location of the MX-Academy Dubai, whose tracks he designed and built. Lessons take place at the DMX-Track Jebel Ali at Mina Jebel Ali, Exit 13, and at MX Ride Dubai. It has a separate beginners' track, so first-timers have room to practise.
The coaches work with kids from 4 years, girls and women, beginners, advanced riders and racers, either in a group from two riders or in a private lesson. Topics range from standing and sitting, braking and accelerating to foot position, weight on the footpegs and throttle control, and on to preload and scrubbing over jumps, reading the track, starts, the holeshot, ruts and where to look. Many guests have never ridden before, yet after day one they already take their first basic jumps. The courses are explained on the page about motocross training in Dubai.
Guides who know the dunes around Dubai
In the desert, each group follows experienced desert riders such as Mohammed Al Balooshi or Mohammed Jaffar. They teach you to read the desert, find a way through it, ride up and down dunes and jump. Groups are formed by riding skill and fitness. A tour lasts from a few hours to almost a whole day, and overnight tours are also possible.
First, though, the guides want to see you ride on the training track. If you have no off-road experience, count on roughly three days of practice before the dunes. If you already ride off-road, you still need at least a day in the sand first. The first dunes are on an easier practice area where the sand is less deep, and no one goes into the desert unprepared or without a guide.
Chris Möckli, founder and owner of the MX-Academy
In Dubai, Chris Möckli and Mohammed Al Balooshi run the school together. Chris, two-time European champion (IMBA Openclass 2004 and 2005), also collected several Swiss championship titles. Today he is the founder and owner of the MX-Academy. The IMBA, founded in 1954, runs its own motocross European championship.
In Switzerland the MX-Academy also runs a Honda racing team, and its Swiss base is in Schlatt TG, around 11 minutes by car from Schaffhausen. Guests from the Emirates who want to escape the hot summer can ride there as well. Course days, rental and travel tips are on the page about motocross in Switzerland.
Mario Apel: help with planning your stay
Mario Apel takes care of travel planning. If you come to Dubai for several days of riding, for instance for the racing week with three lessons and a desert ride, he helps you fit the riding days into your plans. The MX-Academy Dubai team answers questions in English and also in Arabic.
Email your preferred dates to info@mx-academy.com, or go to the booking page to book motocross in Dubai. Because the team rides almost every day in the season, with two to three courses a day, most dates can be arranged. If your day is already taken, you get a different date suggested.
FAQ: MX-Academy Dubai Team
Who is Mohammed Al Balooshi?
An Emirati motocross and desert rally rider from Dubai and a Red Bull athlete. In 2012 he was the first Emirati to compete in the Dakar Rally on a motorbike, and he has won the FIM Bajas World Cup four times: 2018, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Who coaches at the MX-Academy Dubai?
Mohammed Al Balooshi and Mohammed Jaffar coach and guide on the track and in the desert. They teach every level, from kids aged 4 to racers.
Who founded the MX-Academy?
Chris Möckli founded the MX-Academy and owns it. In Dubai he runs the school together with Mohammed Al Balooshi.
Can I get information in Arabic?
Yes. Besides English, the team also answers your questions in Arabic.
Who helps me plan a riding trip to Dubai?
Mario Apel takes care of travel planning. Send your dates and wishes by email or through the booking page.
