7 of 9 places fit
Dubai's own mountain enclave about 90 minutes away, with a turquoise dam you can kayak and a hilltop sign walk, all on good tarmac.
A short paved detour off the main road into a rocky Hajar valley with a dam, barbecue spots and lay-bys looking along the ridge lines.
A paved road through the Hajar between Masafi and Dibba with wide mountain views and almost no traffic.
Dunes give way to craggy mountains, a long tunnel and a steep drop to the sea at Kalba, about 90 minutes from Dubai.
Lawns and warm spring water at the bottom of the Jebel Hafeet road, a natural place to end the drive.
An 89 km road through five tunnels cuts the trip to the east coast to about 45 minutes from Sharjah, with purpose-built rest stops in the mountains.
A nine-kilometre strip along the mountain's foot with over 500 Bronze Age beehive tombs and gravel tracks between them.