The Desert Races for women and men will take place this weekend as part of the tenth season of the Al Salam Cycling Championship.
The women’s race is scheduled for Saturday, January 31, with the men’s event following on Sunday, February 1.
The Championship’s Higher Organising Committee has set a challenging course at Al Marmoom Reserve in the Saih Al Salam area.
The races will be contested on mountain bikes, with participants required to wear helmets and cycling goggles and carry all essential equipment.
Given the demanding nature of the terrain, cyclists will need to be well prepared to navigate a range of obstacles and conditions.
Total prize money for the two races stands at AED 455,000, making it the largest prize pool for desert cycling races.
Action begins on Saturday with the Desert Race for Women, covering a distance of 20 km and featuring two categories — one for Emirati women and an open category for all nationalities.
The Desert Race for Men will follow on Sunday, covering 52 km and including two special challenges with dedicated cash prizes.
The two events mark the fourth and fifth rounds of the Championship’s tenth season, which opened with the Security and Safety Race, organised in cooperation with Dubai Police and dedicated to Emirati cyclists.
That was followed by the Ruler of Dubai Court Race, which started at the Court of His Highness the Ruler of Dubai and finished at Al Marmoom Reserve, featuring elite professional cyclists from a wide range of nationalities.
The Championship also staged its women’s race last week at Al Marmoom Reserve, attracting some of the world’s leading female cyclists.
Under the patronage and directives of Mohammed bin Rashid, the Private Office of His Highness the Ruler of Dubai will organise Desert Races for Women and Men on Saturday (31 January) and Sunday (1 February) respectively, as part of the Al Salam Cycling Championship. The races… pic.twitter.com/KviUgUk2q5
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) January 30, 2026
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