Al Qudra - Just the Loop

50 km road cycling loop68 m climbing1½–2 hoursGPX

Dubai, United Arab Emirates · Road

A flat 50 km road cycling loop from Al Qudra through Mugatrah, with 68 m of climbing. 92% is on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane. The first 50 km has no café, shop or water.

Route contributed by Marcus and Richard Chapman · Last ridden Tuesday 9th June 2026

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At a glance

Best for: Steady riding away from traffic
Distance: 50.1 km; Loop
Elevation gain: 68 m; 1 m per km
Riding time: 1½–2 hours; moving time, estimated
Difficulty: Easy
Bike: Road bike; from the mapped surface
Surface: Paved; 99% paved · 1% unpaved
Traffic: Mostly cycle paths; 1.9 km on main roads without a cycle lane · 2.4 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more · 46.2 km on cycle paths or lanes
Food & water: Longest gap 50 km; 1 café or restaurant · 2 shops · 1 water point · 1 petrol station · 1 public toilet · 2 bike shops
Best months: Dec to Feb; Dubai climate, 10 years
Navigation: GPX download; free, no sign-in
Start and finish: Al Qudra

On the road: Al Qudra - Just the Loop, Dubai

Elevation profile

Total ascent: 68 m
Distance: 50 km

What it was like to ride

Rider notes on the Al Qudra cycle track

Al Qudra is Dubai's best known cycling track: a dedicated tarmac path with no cars, out in the desert south of the city. With more than 220km of track there are a variety of rides to suit all levels of cyclist. From the car park at the D63 roundabout a straight 17 km "stick" runs down to the start of the loop section. Here you can find a Trek shop with bicycle rentals and the famous Zad's foodstore amongst other small retail outlets. From here the common ride is either the full 50 km loop as shown in the route map here, or a slightly shorter inner loop most commonly know as "Jurassic". [Ride it and it will make sense!]. In both versions you ride through the dunes and circle back to Zads which provides a rest/coffee stop with just the stick left to take you back to the start. Flat all the way other than a few small inclines that can't really be described as hills.

Zads is the only stop, and you pass it twice: at 19 km on the way out and 65 km on the way back. Shops, toilets, water and a bike shop are all there. Depending on your direction of travel, there is also the mosque near to Bab Al Shams which offers drinking water all year round. Around the rest of the loop there is nothing other than a number of shaded areas with seating, so fill your bottles at Zads and carry enough for the loop. From May to September that means starting before sunrise.

The path is open and unsheltered, so the wind decides how hard the day is. Weekend mornings are super busy with groups on the stick; the loop thins out. Lights are worth having if you start before sunrise: the track is mostly unlit and most riders are out before dawn. For an entirely different experience try the same route at night. It's very dark and mostly silent when you're out towards the back of the loop beyond the solar park.

Best part: The iconic ride for nearly all Dubai cyclists. Most of us have ridden this route 100s of times. The perfect place for a traffic-free group ride either early morning or late evening.
Watch out for: During Saturday mornings there can be riders of all experience levels all on the track at the same time. Always pay attention, be respectful and shout before passing. On night rides you may be treated to all manner of interesting creatures. Watch for oryx, camel spiders, hedgehogs, lizards, mice, and more.
Best stop: Zads Foodstore

Route description

Al Qudra
Mugatrahkm 15
Al Qudrakm 50

The Al Qudra midweek 50 is a 50.1 km loop route starting and finishing in Dubai. It features mostly flat terrain with an elevation gain of 90 m. The route's lowest point is 63 m at 16.6 km, and the highest point is 117 m at 38.8 km. Climbing occurs mostly in the first half with a gentle profile and only 0.1 km exceeding 5% gradient.

Nearly all the route surface is paved (99%), with just 1% gravel or unpaved. Most of the ride (46.2 km) is on cycle paths, mainly along the Al Qudra Cycle Path Route 1 which is ridden for 45.6 km. There are 1.9 km on main roads without a cycle lane and 1.3 km on minor roads. Fast roads with posted speed limits of 80 km/h or more cover 2.4 km.

Cyclists should note that there is a very long stretch of 49.8 km without café, shop or water access. The only settlement passed is Mugatrah at 14.5 km. At the start and finish in Dubai there are multiple amenities including convenience stores, bike rentals, a restaurant, a petrol station, toilets, and medical facilities.

Why ride this route?

92% on cycle paths or lanes.

Highlights

Mugatrah at 14.5 km
Highest point 117 m at 38.8 km
Almost entirely on Al Qudra Cycle Path Route 1
Longest flat section with only 0.1 km over 5% gradient

Along the route

Measured from the route line, the Copernicus elevation model and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

Mugatrah 14.5 km

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

Much of the route is separated from traffic: 92% is on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane.

Roads: 92% cycle path · 4% main road · 3% minor road · 1% other roads and tracks
Main roads: 1.9 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Fast roads: 2.4 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Cycle paths: 46.2 km on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane
Main roads used: Al Qudra Cycle Path Route 1 (46 km)
Surface: Paved: 99% of the route is mapped as paved, 1% as unpaved.
Gradient: 3% climbing · 1% descending · 96% flat

Food, water and services

Within a few hundred metres of the track, from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours change — treat this as where to look, not a promise.

The longest stretch without a café, shop or water is 50 km, from the start. Along the route: 1 café or restaurant, 2 shops, 1 water point, 1 petrol station, 1 public toilet and 2 bike shops.

Food, water and shops in ride order

0.2 kmAlqudra Ambulance Medical Centre · clinic · 80 m off route
49.8 kmADNOC · petrol station · 80 m off route
50 kmSpicy Village Restaurant · restaurant · 130 m off route
50 kmZad Foodstores · convenience store · on the route
50 kmDrinking water · 80 m off route
50 kmToilets · 90 m off route
50 kmCareem · bike rental · on the route

Start and access

Starts and finishes at Al Qudra. Mapped within a short walk of the start, from OpenStreetMap.

At the start and finish

Bikes and repair: Careem (10 m), Trek (100 m)
Food and coffee: Spicy Village Restaurant (130 m)
Shops: Zad Foodstores (30 m), Geant at ADNOC (120 m)

Know before you go

No café, shop or water for 49.8 km
1.9 km on main roads without a cycle lane
2.4 km on fast roads with 80 km/h+ limits
1% of route is gravel or unpaved

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

16 photographs from the road

About this route

Ridden by: Marcus and Richard Chapman
Dates ridden: Saturday 10th February 2018 to Tuesday 9th June 2026 · 77 recordings
Route line: Built from 77 GPS recordings of the ride.
Elevation: Recalculated from the Copernicus GLO-90 terrain model every 50 m, not the device’s barometer.
Roads, surface, services: Measured along the line from OpenStreetMap extracts.
Best months: Ten years of ERA5 weather for Dubai (Open-Meteo).
GPX: Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
Page added: Thursday 27th August 2026
Page last updated: Thursday 17th September 2026

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Al Qudra - Just the Loop