UAE’s first off-road adventure park to open in Mleiha soon

Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent

Thrill- seekers and adventure lovers in the UAE can now look forward to a new address! The XQuarry Off-Road & Adventure Park, located around Al Faya Mountain in Mleiha desert in Sharjah, is set to open for the public on Feb.5-6 offering off-roading thrill, obstacle races, hikes and remote- control cars, guaranteeing unbeatable fun, action and adventure.

XQuarry Adventure Park, UAE’s first Off-Road and Adventure Park, caters for off-roaders and adventure-seekers with almost 15km of tracks, 20 custom-built off-roading obstacles, a dedicated obstacle running course, mountain bike trails, a remote-control car area as well as hiking trails.

Spread across approximately a million square metres of an old cement quarry, XQuarry offers a range of adventurous and fun activities for people of all ages and fitness levels, featuring Off-Roading, Obstacle Running, Mountain Biking, Hiking and Remote-Controlled Cars.

XQuarry Adventure Park provides the opportunity for all to escape the ordinary, explore thrilling and challenging activities and immerse themselves in a fun-filled day amidst magnificent desert scenario. The focus of the park is to provide outdoor training and education for people to learn and master their skills to act safe and responsible in the outdoors.

The XQuarry Off-Road and Adventure Park has been created in close co-operation and strategic partnership with Mleiha and Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq).

Shurooq CEO Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer said, “We are happy to partner with XQuarry in launching the UAE’s first Off-Road and Adventure Park in Sharjah. Mleiha, home to rich history and landscapes, is already well-known among the travellers for the diverse desert experiences. The new adventure park, being first of its kind in the UAE, will provide a set of completely different experiences for off-roading enthusiasts and adventure lovers and will give more reasons to explore Sharjah’s central region.”

Saoud Al Kaabi, Director and Partner, XQuarry Off-Road and Adventure Park, said, “I love the silence and tranquillity of the desert and mountains especially after busy days on film sets or events. It’s important for me to share the beauty of my home country with other people and especially, get the younger generation out in the nature to explore and experience adventures in a safe environment. XQuarry is just a step in that direction.”

Daniel Birkhofer, Managing Partner, XQuarry Off-Road and Adventure Park said, “We want to help people develop their off-roading skills and technical knowledge to make them better drivers. This applies also to the other activities we offer – whether you experience alone, in groups or with one of our guides does not matter, you will improve your skills and experience fun with new adventures.”

The off-roaders can find approximately 15km of off-roading tracks requiring different skill levels and technical modifications on the vehicle. The tracks, mostly made of gravel and rocks and a mud pit, come with several obstacles for added fun and adventure. Since most of the impressive dunes in the Northern Emirates are just outside the park, visitors can take advantage of the opportunity to combine a desert drive with a park visit.

Obstacle Running at XQuarry is the most amazing and challenging permanent obstacle course in the UAE. Approximately 2km of running distance filled with different obstacles await the adrenaline junkies and if this is not enough, trail and ultra-runners can extend their running distance by including the hiking trails.

Mountain Biking (MTB) at XQuarry is the closest mountain cycling trail to the big cities reachable in less than an hour. There are single trails as well as MTB obstacle trail and what’s more, you can extend the trails outside the park which go beyond 10km.

Hiking Trails abound for thrill-seekers and families with breathtaking panoramic views of the desert. Short family-friendly loops are available for beginners, while the more daring hikers can scramble through the rocky hurdles and cliffs to reach the mountain top.

Remote-Control Cars (RC) are another highlight of the park with approximately 500m of custom-built RC tracks along with dedicated shaded areas for the operators and spectators to overlook the track.