7 of 9 places fit
A paved road through the Hajar between Masafi and Dibba with wide mountain views and almost no traffic.
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.
Dunes give way to craggy mountains, a long tunnel and a steep drop to the sea at Kalba, about 90 minutes from Dubai.
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.
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.
Lawns and warm spring water at the bottom of the Jebel Hafeet road, a natural place to end the drive.
A nine-kilometre strip along the mountain's foot with over 500 Bronze Age beehive tombs and gravel tracks between them.