By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 3 min read
Which desert wedding venues are near Dubai?
Two kinds of venue get called a desert wedding.
- Desert resorts: Bab Al Shams and Al Maha, both resort properties with a hotel entrance and a paved approach.
- Camps: tented sites out in the dunes, run by operators with their own vehicles.
The first can take a bride in a sedan. The second often cannot. Ask the venue which type it is before you book cars.
Tarmac or sand: what road reaches each venue?
Ask the venue three questions in writing:
- Is the road paved all the way to the entrance?
- If not, where does tarmac end and who runs the next stretch?
- Is there a gate, a pass or a permit for outside vehicles?
A resort gives an address. A camp may give only a pin and a meeting point. Your chauffeur needs the pin a week ahead, not on the day.
When do you need a 4x4?
A 4x4 is needed when the last stretch is soft sand or a graded track. It is also a choice: some couples want to arrive by dune drive.
The camp usually runs the 4x4 transfer from a handover point on tarmac. Plan for it:
- Seats: count every guest. If a camp vehicle seats 6, 30 guests means five runs.
- Luggage and dress: the bride’s gown travels in the 4x4 with her, so ask for a high-roof model.
- Return: book the same 4x4 for the way back, and fix a time.
Our car with driver service can supply a driver for the tarmac leg, and our private desert safari shows how a 4x4 with a driver runs for one group.
Drive times from Downtown and Dubai Marina
Desert venues are further than city venues. As a guide, the desert near Lahbab is about 48 km and 43 minutes from central Dubai without traffic, according to OpenStreetMap routing. Resorts and camps lie at different distances, and some are further.
Ask the venue for the time from your hotel. Then add:
- 30 minutes on a Friday or Saturday evening.
- 15 minutes for the handover to a 4x4.
Coaches add time on the last stretch. Plan them with our guest shuttle guide, and book them through bus rental or minibus rental, subject to availability.
The night return: lighting, fatigue and the last coach
The return is where desert weddings go wrong. The ceremony runs late, the track is dark, and chauffeurs have been on duty since the afternoon.
- Last coach: fix a time and print it on the guest card.
- Lighting: ask whether the track is lit, or whether a camp vehicle leads the convoy to the tarmac.
- Chauffeur hours: tell us the finish time so we can plan the chauffeurs’ day around it.
- Guests who stay: ask the venue whether rooms or tents are held, so fewer people need a ride at 2 am.
Sand, heat and the bride’s car
Keep the bride’s car on tarmac. Sand scratches paint and works into door seals.
Run the air conditioning for 10 minutes before she gets in. Dark leather and a satin dress do not mix in the heat. Carry a cloth and a lint roller, and wipe the car before photographs.
Choose the car for the surface: see our guide to choosing a wedding car and the options under wedding car hire and our limousine service.
Add a desert photo stop or a sunset safari for guests
A short sunset drive gives guests something to do while the couple has photographs. Ask the venue first whether outside operators may enter its land. See Dubai desert safari locations for where safaris run, and wedding photo locations for stops on the way.
If you are comparing venues, the Palm Jumeirah arrival guide shows the same planning for a city-side hotel. The full plan is in the wedding transport guide.
Photos in this guide
Rolling red sand dunes in the desert outside Dubai under a clear skyGfilip / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A white Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 driving over sand at sunset in the Dubai desertiMahesh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sunset over the Dubai desert with scrub bushes and dunes in the evening lightSajitkk / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A herd of Arabian oryx standing on sand in the Dubai Desert Conservation ReserveSobiarahim / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
