Road spotlight ·
Road Spotlight: Jebel Hafeet as the Gulf Season Opens
As the alpine passes shut, the UAE's mountain road comes into season. What to expect on Jebel Hafeet from October, and why dawn is still the time to go.
October is when the driving calendar turns over. The high passes of the Alps are days from closing, and in the Gulf the summer heat is finally easing. For owners in the UAE, and for anyone planning a winter trip, that means Jebel Hafeet is coming back into season.
The road
Jebel Hafeet stands on its own in the desert outside Al Ain, on the border between the UAE and Oman. The road up it is 11.7 km long with around 60 corners, and it finishes at a car park and a hotel close to the 1,219 m summit. There are two lanes going up and one coming down, the whole climb is lit at night, and there is no toll.
Most of the corners are fast, constant-radius sweepers with clear sight lines over bare rock, broken up by a few tighter hairpins. The second uphill lane means a slower car ahead is never a frustration. It is a dead end, so the descent is half the drive, and the single downhill lane leaves less room for error.
Why October is only the start
The season runs from October to April, but the early weeks are still hot. Afternoons in Al Ain remain well above 30 degrees this month, and the comfortable daytime temperatures arrive from late November through to February.
That makes timing simple: go at dawn. The air is at its coolest, the light on the rock is at its best, and you are back in Al Ain for breakfast before the heat builds. Carry water in the car whatever the month.
What suits a Lotus here
The surface is as close to a circuit as a public road gets. It is one of the few roads where a stiff, track-focused car such as the Exige V6 feels entirely at home, with none of the broken tarmac that makes the same car hard work on a British B-road.
The climb asks a lot of the cooling system and the descent asks a lot of the brakes, so check coolant level, fan operation and brake fluid age before the first run of the season. Our road trip preparation guide covers the basics.
What to watch for
- Speed cameras cover the mountain and every approach road. The limits are enforced, and the road is just as good at the posted speed.
- Cyclists use the climb at dawn and dusk, which are also the best hours for driving. Give them the full lane when passing.
- The summit car park gets busy on cool weekend evenings. Weekday mornings are quieter.
Getting there
Al Ain is about 90 minutes by motorway from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, so the mountain works as a morning out from either city. The full route, map and notes are in our Jebel Hafeet trail guide.