A view of a 50-kilometre sand bike track in the forests of Mushrif National Park.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Dubai Municipality announced the development of a 50-kilometre sand bike track in the forests of Mushrif National Park, the first sand track of its kind in Dubai.

The project embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and in implementation of the directives of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, aimed at transforming Dubai into a bicycle-friendly city.

The sand bike track.

The project provides suitable alternatives to encourage residents to practice cycling.

The track extends for a length of 20 km in the first phase, and 30 km in the second phase, and has more than 70,000 trees.

The new track will add 276 kilometres to the total existing and planned cycle tracks, bringing the total length of bicycle paths in Dubai to 739 km by 2026.

Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said, "The project is a qualitative addition to the package of infrastructure projects, services and facilities implemented by the Dubai government, to encourage sports and recreational activities to improve the quality of life in the emirate."

He added, The width of the track in its first part is three metres, and passes in a zigzag way between the corridors of the forests of Mushrif National Park, to accommodate more than 3,000 cyclists per day.

Cyclists pedal their way through the greenery amid a barren stretch of the desert.

The track starts from the designated area next to the main gate of the Mushrif National Park, and ends at the same point, with 3 fast-return tracks linked to 3 resting sites, in addition to two bike repair and rental shops.

It is suitable for beginners as well, and the track contains three crossing bridges as a first stage, up to 10 bridges at the end of the project implementation.

It will become the new destination in the emirate for sports and adventure enthusiasts, and a future destination to host regional and international competitions, pointing out that the track was designed according to the best International standards and specifications in line with the nature of the region and the requirements of amateur and professional users.

Mushrif Garden

Mushrif National Park is a family park, less than 20 kilometers from the city center, and 10 kilometres from Dubai International Airport.

The park is considered one of the oldest parks in the emirate, and contains 70,000 trees and a host large number of unique birds.

It covers an area of 5.25 square kilometres.