News
Cycling in the UAE is becoming a growing morning ritual, moving beyond the idea of a quick workout inside closed studios into a wider space that combines fitness, group spirit, and the enjoyment of open air.
In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the bicycle is no longer just a sports tool. It has become part of the daily routine for broad segments of residents, especially during the winter months, when the cities offer an ideal environment for outdoor exercise.
Details
• In Dubai, the scene repeats itself in the early hours of dawn: small groups, bicycles, light music, and sessions that sometimes begin near the beach at sunrise, or in quiet desert areas away from the city’s noise.
• Helena Markway says she makes sure to practice cycling outdoors in the morning, especially in winter, noting that the experience is not limited to exercise alone, but sometimes turns into a group activity that includes the sea or the desert.
• For Helena, cycling has become a morning ritual she cannot start her day without.
• This shift is closely linked to the infrastructure the UAE has built over recent years. In Dubai, the Roads and Transport Authority announced the completion of 13 cycling tracks as part of a plan covering 15 tracks with a total length of 162 kilometers.
• Dubai aims to expand its cycling track network to 1,000 kilometers by 2030, after the length of tracks rose from 560 kilometers at the end of 2024 to 636 kilometers at the end of 2025.
• Cycling trips in Dubai increased from 46.6 million in 2024 to 57.3 million in 2025, a rise of 23.5%.
• Dubai entered the list of the world’s top 100 bicycle-friendly cities in the 2025 Copenhagenize Index, becoming the first city in the Middle East to achieve this presence, according to the Roads and Transport Authority.
• In Abu Dhabi, the Union Cycliste Internationale says the emirate offers around 300 kilometers of dedicated cycling tracks, with prominent routes in Hudayriyat, Al Wathba, Al Ain, Jebel Hafeet, and Liwa.
• Abu Dhabi Cycling Club promotes the sport as part of a healthy lifestyle, not merely a limited competitive activity.
• Olivia Vandhai, a Lithuanian coach who has worked in the UAE for six years, says she was surprised by the level of interest in a sport that is still relatively new to many people.
• Olivia adds that she previously worked in New York, but enjoys Dubai’s winter atmosphere more, where training combines with fresh air and group spirit.
• The growing interest is not limited to outdoor tracks. Indoor cycling studios in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have helped turn the workout into a group experience built around music, lighting, and energy.
• Some studios offer sessions lasting around 45 minutes, presenting them as a full-body workout and a mental and psychological experience, not just an activity for burning calories.
• Aisha, a civil engineer who regularly attends cycling classes, says the health aspect is important, but believes the greater value lies in the psychological feeling the sport gives her.
• For Aisha, the bicycle is not just a workout tool. It is a short space to escape work pressure and regain focus before the day begins.
What’s Next?
Cycling in the UAE is moving along two parallel tracks: an official track led by infrastructure, races, and clubs, and a social track shaped by small groups that have turned exercise into a morning ritual.
Between the sea, the desert, and training studios, the bicycle today seems to be more than a rising sport. It is a different way to start the day in a fast-paced city.
