JUST AN ILLUSION

An eye-opening MTB journey through Saudi Arabia brings extraordinary sensory experiences - but can you find the Arabian Nights of our imagination in the real Middle East?

- Martin Bissig

RUMBLING AND CHURNING, THE CLIMATE GENERATORS PUMP COLD AIR INTO THE SCORCHING DESERT.

A few metres away, it's 35°C in the shade. But here, a trendy couple enjoy a decaf soy latte with a slice of carrot cake as the cool breeze blows over their backs briefly before disappearing. This is emblematic of Saudi Arabian opulence, where anything can be accomplished, regardless of any constraints of cost, common sense or sustainability.

The country is dedicated to tourism, both domestic and international, having recently opened up to foreigners as a travel destination. And it has much to offer a wonderful fusion of art, history, culture and incredible landscapes. Now, local officials are hoping to entice more daring holidaymakers to the desolate and exceedingly dry region around Al'Ula. After road cyclists, mountain bikers are the next demographic being focused on. We're told there's "huge potential" for growth. 

That's why I'm here, along with former Enduro World Series racer Anita Gehrig and trials star (and ex-world champ) Tom Öhler, on a quest to find MTB trails in the Saudi Arabian desert.

Bedouin down 

There's a loud knock at our door in the dead of night. It's our tour guide Ian, come to pick us up. We drive for about an hour to an area known as 'the dead camel' - true enough, after setting off on our bikes, we soon come across camels' bones. As we work our way up and over slick, and in places quite steep, rock formations in the middle of the barren desert, the sun is just peeking over the horizon, giving the morning sky a warm yellow-orange hue. On the red rocks, Tom feels completely at home. As Anita follows him, he nose-wheelies down the steep slopes and hops over little gaps.