Dubai Activitieswith theMX-Academy

Dubai activities go far beyond shopping: jump from a plane above the Palm, dive to a sunken city, ski indoors, skate in a mall or tee off on a championship course. Here is what you can do yourself, from first try to expert level.

Tandem skydives at the Palm DropzoneScuba at Deep Dive Dubai from age 10Ski Dubai in Mall of the EmiratesIndoor snow all year round

Motocross Dubai Desert ride Dubai

Outdoor activities in Dubai: rows of yellow kayaks and pedal boats on a lake between rocky brown mountains — Photo: Naveendr2006, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Adventure activities in Dubai: skydiving and parasailing

Skydiving is a classic among adventure sports in Dubai, and Skydive Dubai runs two drop zones. At the Palm Dropzone at Dubai Harbour you jump from up to 13,000 feet with views over Palm Jumeirah and the World Islands. The Desert Campus on the Dubai–Al Ain Road (E66) is one of the world's largest skydiving centres, where professionals and students train. Skydive Dubai itself was set up soon after the city hosted its first international parachuting championship at the Palm Dropzone in 2010.

First-timers jump in tandem, strapped to an instructor. If one jump is not enough, the school also runs an AFF course for those who want to learn to skydive on their own. The two drop zones publish their own medical and weight requirements, so read them on the official website before you book.

If you want the view without the free fall, try parasailing. Wearing a life jacket and a harness, you stay tethered to a boat and rise into the air behind it, high above the water. Some yacht charters list parasailing among the optional water activities, together with jet skiing and flyboarding, so ask about it when you book a boat trip.

Motocross in the dunes of Dubai: two riders on motocross bikes with sand spraying up behind them

MX-Academy Dubai

Ride the dunes yourself

In a 4x4, on a quad or in a buggy you see the desert – on a motocross bike you ride it. MX-Academy Dubai, the school of Chris Möckli and Mohammed Al Balooshi, takes you into the dunes on a guided desert ride in Dubai.

On the handlebars yourself instead of in the passenger seat
First the basics on the training track: riding standing up and in sand
Bike and a full set of protective gear for hire
Experienced desert riders as your guides, on a date of your choice

Desert ride Dubai Motocross training in Dubai

Diving and snorkelling: Dubai activities underwater

Deep Dive Dubai is an indoor pool themed as an abandoned sunken city. It holds 14 million litres of fresh water and lets divers descend to 60 metres; when it opened in 2021, Guinness World Records listed it as the deepest swimming pool for diving.

Beginners start with a short introduction and practice in shallow water before exploring the city below. Guided scuba is offered from age 10 and freediving from age 13. Snorkellers from age 6 look down on the sunken city from the surface, and technical divers with the right training can go all the way to the bottom.

Ski Dubai: snow sports activities in Dubai

Ski Dubai in Mall of the Emirates opened in 2005 as the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East. Its indoor mountain covers 22,500 square metres with five slopes, the longest of them 400 metres, for skiing and snowboarding all year round.

Next to the slopes, the Snow Park offers bobsleigh rides, tubing, tobogganing and wall climbing, and you can book an encounter with the resident king and gentoo penguins. Ski lessons are available if you have never stood on skis before.

Sports activities in Dubai: skiers on an indoor snow slope under a lit ceiling, with a chairlift above them — Photo: Filipe Fortes, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ice skating and other indoor Dubai activities

Inside The Dubai Mall, the Dubai Ice Rink is an Olympic-sized rink with public skating sessions, and on disco nights a DJ turns the ice into a dance floor. Skates are included in the admission. On very hot days it is one of the easiest ways for families and groups to stay active indoors.

Lessons can be booked in advance if you want help with your first turns on the ice, and skating aids are available for beginners. Together with Deep Dive Dubai and Ski Dubai, the rink is one of three indoor answers to a hot afternoon in the city.

Dubai activities indoors: skaters glide across a large ice rink seen from above, with stands and big screens — Photo: Gautham Pillai, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Golf, running and cycling: sports activities in Dubai

Golf has a long history here. The Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club opened in 1988 as the first grass course in the Middle East and first hosted the Dubai Desert Classic, a professional tournament, in 1989. The par-72 layout winds between desert dunes. The other big name is Jumeirah Golf Estates, whose Earth course, designed by Greg Norman, hosts the DP World Tour Championship, the season-ending event of the DP World Tour.

Running is one of the simplest sports activities in Dubai to do on your own: Kite Beach has running tracks right beside the sea, so you can combine a morning run with a swim.

Cyclists head inland to the Al Qudra Cycling Track in the desert south-east of the city. In 2022 Guinness World Records recognised its 80.6 km route as the longest continuous cycling path in the world. The track passes sand dunes and lakes, and shaded rest areas, restaurants and bike rental shops along the way make it easy to plan a ride.

Sports activities in Dubai: a green golf course with palm trees, a path and high-rise towers on the horizon — Photo: giggel, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Outdoor activities in Dubai: sea, mountains and desert

On the coast, Kite Beach in Umm Suqeim is named after the kitesurfers and kite flyers who use its sand, and visitors also go paddleboarding and kayaking there with the Burj Al Arab on the horizon. Inland, Hatta in the Hajar Mountains offers kayaking on the lake behind Hatta Dam, where water bikes and boats are also available, and colour-coded hiking trails graded for different abilities.

In the desert, dune bashing in a 4x4 is the classic tour. To ride a motorbike yourself, MX-Academy Dubai leads riders through the sand on motocross and enduro bikes, and a desert ride can be booked on a date of your choice. With a flight of around six hours from Switzerland, a riding trip even works as a long weekend.

Prefer four wheels on tarmac? Our page on karting in Dubai lists the kart tracks, and the Dubai racing guide covers the circuits where you can watch races or take the wheel of a car yourself.

Outdoor activities in Dubai: kites fly over a wide sandy beach, with the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab far away — Photo: Krista, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ: Dubai Activities

Where can you skydive in Dubai?

Skydive Dubai offers tandem jumps at the Palm Dropzone at Dubai Harbour, with views over Palm Jumeirah, and at its Desert Campus on the Dubai–Al Ain Road.

How deep is the diving pool at Deep Dive Dubai?

Divers can descend to 60 metres in a pool holding 14 million litres of fresh water. Scuba experiences start from age 10.

Can you ski in Dubai all year?

Yes. Ski Dubai in Mall of the Emirates is an indoor resort with five slopes that keeps its snow throughout the year.

Where can you go kitesurfing in Dubai?

Kite Beach in Umm Suqeim takes its name from the kitesurfers who use it, and visitors also go paddleboarding and kayaking there.

Is there an ice rink in Dubai?

Yes. The Olympic-sized Dubai Ice Rink is inside The Dubai Mall, with public sessions and disco nights with a DJ.

Where can you go cycling in Dubai?

Head for the Al Qudra Cycling Track in the desert south-east of the city. Its 80.6 km path past dunes and lakes was recognised by Guinness World Records in 2022 as the longest continuous cycling path.