The desert, mapped and graded.

177 spots across the UAE and Oman, graded Beginner to Advanced.

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Never driven sand? Start here
Map of 177 published spots in the UAE and Oman, each dot coloured by grade: green Beginner, blue Intermediate, grey Advanced. Big Red is highlighted. OMAN
Beginner Intermediate Advanced Grades are indicative, not a measurement.
The Big Red spot in the app: Off-Road · Sharjah, the Intermediate grade, 25 points, '4x4 needed + sand basics', and 'Difficulty here is indicative, not a measurement', with a Take me there button
In the app, tap a pin to see its grade and what the drive needs.

Everything for a day in the dunes.

Live map

Every spot, ringed by its grade.

The OffroadPal live map: a satellite view of the dunes around Al Ain with spot pins ringed by grade, the search bar that also takes pasted coordinates, the notification bell, and the Locate, View, Layers and SOS buttons

Trips

Curated trails, stop by stop.

The Hameem Loop trip in the app: a map with numbered stops along the loop, the day length (55 km, full day) and the trip title

Offline maps

Save a region. Drive with no signal.

The Offline Maps screen: a map of the UAE with the downloadable regions outlined, such as Dubai Dunes, Abu Dhabi City, Sweihan / Al Madam and Al Ain

Waypoints

An arrow and a distance. Not a route.

A dropped waypoint on the map, with a card showing a yellow arrow pointing towards it and the distance, 20 km

Map layers

Grade filters, fuel, hospitals and no-go zones.

The Map Layers sheet: spot types (Off-Road, Camping, Nature, Hiking), a difficulty filter (All, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced), offline maps and 3D terrain

Learn

Short guides, in order, for your first time.

The Learn tab's Start here list: six guides in order, about 13 minutes in total, with "First time in the desert" marked as next

Journey

Claim spots, earn points, climb tiers.

The Tiers sheet: Newcomer, Explorer, Pathfinder, Trailblazer and Offroader, with the note "App activity only. Not a driving rating."

Convoy

Start a convoy, share the code.

The Convoy sheet: Create or Join, a convoy name field and a Create Convoy button

Courses

Sign up for a beginner course.

Discover, Shop, Courses: the Desert Driving Course card, "Beginner · run by the club or operator"

DrivesNew

Record a drive. It saves itself.

The "Drive saved" sheet with distance 2.0 km, height 11 m, driving time 2 minutes and total time 2 minutes

The rest of the kit.

SOS

Tell people where you are

If anyone is hurt, call 999 first (9999 in Oman). If it is only the car, the app walks you through getting yourself out, then opens WhatsApp with your GPS position ready to send to a volunteer rescue team. That needs mobile data. OffroadPal is not an emergency service.

What to do when you're stuck →

Questions

Do I need an expensive 4x4 to start off-roading in the UAE?

You do need a capable 4x4 with low-range or a proper off-road mode, and you should air your tyres down for soft sand. You do not need a heavily modified vehicle. Every spot shows its grade, and off-road spots say what the drive needs — the vehicle, the convoy, the experience — so you can pick one that suits you and your car.

Is OffroadPal free?

Yes. Every feature in the app is free today: the map, every offline region, SOS, convoy, drive recording, and the points and tiers you earn. You sign in with a free account.

Does the app work without phone signal in the desert?

Yes, and that's the point. Download your area while you still have signal. After that the map, your spots and where you are on it keep working with no signal at all. Signal drops fast out in the desert, and that's exactly when you need to know where you are.

Is OffroadPal only for the UAE?

Mostly the UAE, plus a growing set of spots in Oman — real local places, details written for desert driving, and the right time of year for driving here. It is not a global hiking app with the UAE added on at the end.

I've never been off-road and I don't know anyone who does it. Can I still use it?

Yes. That's exactly who OffroadPal is built for. Beginner spots are marked, and the app has short guides written for first drives. If you want a proper start, you can sign up in the app for a beginner desert driving course, run by a club or operator. You don't have to figure it out alone.

Which phones does OffroadPal work on?

OffroadPal is free on iPhone and Android — download it from the App Store or Google Play.

A ring of 4x4s parked in a wide dune bowl in the UAE

Pick a spot and go.

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