Desert sport lives southeast of Dubai, most often around Lehbab or Al Faya: about forty minutes on the road, then red dunes to the horizon. The standard programme is dune bashing — a 4x4 with deflated tyres working the ridges for roughly forty minutes, the driver picking lines that look impossible from the back seat. Quads and buggies sit alongside it for anyone who prefers to steer, sandboarding comes as standard, and a few operators offer skiing on sand.

More turns up once the standard circuit is done. Camel racing at Al Marmoom can be watched from the rail, winter fills with desert running events, and an overnight in camp under the stars is sold almost everywhere. The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve works differently from open sand: protected ground, licensed operators only, vehicles on marked tracks. That restriction is exactly why oryx and gazelle are still there to be seen.

A few practical points decide how the day goes. Buggies and quads carry age and height limits — you normally take the wheel from 16, younger riders go as passengers. Anyone with back or neck trouble, and anyone pregnant, should skip dune bashing; nearly every operator keeps a calmer route for exactly that reason. Between June and September tours start after midday only, so a morning departure advertised in high summer is a warning sign. Ask how many people share the vehicle and whether camp dinner is inside the price.