A tourism idea does not always start with a formal development plan. Sometimes it grows out of a hobby its founders know inside out, which is exactly how a group of young Jordanians turned their love of four-wheel-drive vehicles into a project aimed at putting Jordan's desert on the map for off-road enthusiasts.
اضافة اعلان
What began as desert adventures gradually became a way to discover new sites and share them with others, before evolving into a sports tourism project aimed at off-roading fans across Jordan and the wider region.
The idea, called Aqaba Off Road, originated in the port city and seeks to build on that hobby by turning it into a more organized, larger-scale experience. From that vision came the "Dunes Capital 2027" project, which its organizers hope will grow adventure tourism in Jordan, establish the Jordanian desert as a destination for off-roading enthusiasts, and open lines of communication with off-road communities in the Gulf and the wider region.
The ultimate goal is to establish an annual sports tourism event with a permanent place on off-roading enthusiasts' calendars, rather than a one-time gathering.
Dunes Capital 2027
Dunes Capital is planned as an annual tourism and sports project in the Wadi Araba region, intended as a destination for off-road fans from Jordan and abroad, combining adventure, entertainment, and desert tourism.
The project includes natural terrain and sand dunes designated for off-road races and competitions, alongside restaurants, cafes, accommodations, and recreational facilities. It also includes space for families and visitors to watch races and enjoy accompanying events.
The idea for Dunes Capital drew inspiration from the Liwa Dune Festival in the United Arab Emirates, adapted to the terrain of Wadi Araba and the Jordanian desert to create a tourism and sports experience with a local character.
Yousef Hilalat, the founder of the idea, said the project stems from viewing the Jordanian desert as a tourism resource that can be developed further for adventure tourism, particularly given that the kingdom's terrain and desert expanses provide a suitable environment for off-roading and overland trips, along with Jordan's proximity to regional markets with large numbers of off-roading enthusiasts.
Hilalat said off-roading should not be viewed only as a standalone sport, but as a way to open a new window onto Jordan. A visitor may come for the sporting experience, he said, but at the same time discovers an opportunity to explore the kingdom's natural, archaeological, and tourism sites.
From a passion for the desert to an organized experience
Behind the idea is Aqaba Off Road, a team formed out of a passion for the desert and four-wheel-drive sports, which developed into a more structured vision centered on experiences that combine adventure, learning, and tourism, with safety and environmental protection as core priorities.
The team describes itself as a licensed sports group based in Aqaba, operating within legal frameworks and in coordination with relevant official bodies. It organizes desert trips, routes, and off-roading events in support of eco-tourism and adventure tourism in Jordan, particularly in Aqaba and the surrounding valleys and desert areas.
The team includes members experienced in first aid, rescue, and emergency response in rough terrain, and its members compete in off-roading races and events.
That experience underpins a trip the team is preparing to run outside Jordan, one its organizers see as more than a long drive. It is part of an effort to build direct relationships with off-roading groups and enthusiasts across the Gulf and the region, learn from their experiences, and introduce them in turn to the routes, sites, and experiences Jordan has to offer as a potential future destination.
A cross-regional road trip
According to the team's schedule, the trip will involve around ten fully equipped four-wheel-drive vehicles. The vehicles will be shipped from Jordan in advance on December 20, arriving in the UAE on December 27. The team will then fly to Dubai to collect the vehicles, with the trip launching from there on December 28.
The team will coordinate with relevant authorities in each country the trip passes through, alongside local groups and off-roading enthusiasts in the areas participants will visit.
On December 29, the convoy will head to the Liwa Festival in the UAE, where participants will remain until January 1, before continuing to Qatar on January 2. The Qatar leg runs until January 5, followed by a stop in Saudi Arabia lasting until January 13.
The Saudi leg includes a stay in Riyadh to support Jordan's national football team during its participation in the Asian Cup, with the team's match scheduled for January 8, 2027, according to the team's itinerary.
Liwa is considered one of the trip's key stops, given its standing within the off-roading and desert trip community. The team plans to connect with local groups at each stop, organizing joint tours and exchanging experience, building a network of relationships that could form the basis for attracting future participants and visitors to Jordan.
Hilalat said the goal of the roughly 7,000-kilometer trip extends beyond the distance covered. It is about connecting with off-roading communities across the region, building relationships with them, understanding their experiences, and then presenting Jordan as a destination off-roading enthusiasts can add to their travel plans.
Jordan as more than a desert route
Hilalat said the idea's real strength lies in the fact that a visitor who comes to Jordan for an off-roading event will not need to limit their stay to the event itself.
Their participation, he said, can become the start of a broader trip. If an event runs for several days, a visitor could extend their stay to see Wadi Rum, Aqaba, Petra, and other sites, making use of hotels, campsites, restaurants, transport, and various tourism activities.
In that sense, off-roading becomes not a goal separate from tourism but a way to attract new visitors and encourage them to explore other parts of the kingdom, aligning with efforts to diversify Jordan's tourism offering and add new experiences alongside its traditional routes.
Hilalat said the idea has received support from several bodies, including the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, as part of efforts to develop and promote tourism in Aqaba and Wadi Rum and strengthen partnerships with initiatives that offer visitors new experiences and help diversify the region's tourism product.
Safety and preparation
The team coordinates with security and official authorities when carrying out its activities, given that desert trips and driving in rough terrain require a high level of organization and preparedness, along with familiarity with routes and the conditions participants may face.
In preparing for the trip, the team is focusing on the technical readiness of the vehicles and securing safety, rescue, first aid, and camping equipment.
Before setting off, the vehicles will undergo inspection and documentation. Each vehicle will be photographed with its driver, along with information about its equipment, any modifications made, and its readiness for the trip.
The trip will require camping in the desert for several nights, meaning participants need camping gear, food, water, and other essentials, along with spare parts and recovery and medical equipment.
Documentation will not be limited to arrival or success, according to Hilalat. It will begin during preparation and continue throughout the trip, including breakdowns, challenges, and difficult situations, with the goal of presenting a realistic picture of the adventure rather than only images of arrival and final results.
Safety is one of the project's central pillars, particularly given the long distances involved and environments that can be difficult to reach or manage in an emergency. The team is focusing on technical inspections and securing recovery equipment, ropes, spare parts, water, food, and medical supplies, along with preparing to handle the range of conditions participants may encounter.
The second safety element concerns the driver. Participating in long trips depends not only on owning a four-wheel-drive vehicle but also on the driver's experience and ability to handle desert driving and difficult routes.
In local trips, the team allows participation across different skill levels, dividing participants into beginner, intermediate, and advanced groups, each following a route suited to its abilities and led by more experienced drivers.
The environment as part of the adventure
As interest in desert tourism grows, the team recognizes that off-roading in natural areas requires clear environmental responsibility, since vehicle use in the desert can affect natural sites if routes are not managed responsibly.
The team focuses on sticking to appropriate routes, avoiding damage to natural areas, trees, or sensitive sites, and not leaving waste behind or disfiguring the natural landscape.
It also runs environmental and community initiatives under the slogan "Start With Yourself," which include cleaning natural areas and encouraging participants to treat the sites they visit as part of their own responsibility.
Off-roading as a gateway to adventure tourism
Hilalat believes developing adventure tourism in Jordan requires expanding the concept of the tourism product beyond traditional sites and routes to include activities that can attract new segments of visitors.
He points to multiple areas that could be built upon, including diving, cycling, and equestrian adventures, alongside off-roading. He believes Jordan's geographic diversity allows these activities to be developed within organized frameworks and under the supervision of relevant authorities.
From a single event to an annual fixture
The team does not want the idea to end with the trip or a single event. It aims to build the event gradually, with Dunes Capital 2027 serving as the start of a path that can be developed year after year.
Hilalat noted that major regional events did not start with huge numbers of participants and visitors from day one, but grew gradually as experience accumulated and reputation built. He believes the same can happen with the project in Jordan.
The initial goal, he said, is to reach realistic numbers of participants and visitors and organize the experience professionally, then use the results to develop later editions, increase participant numbers, and expand regional partnerships.
With that approach, the event could grow from a specialized off-roading activity into a recognized sports tourism fixture that draws adventure enthusiasts from Jordan, the Gulf, and neighboring countries.
Success means an experience that lasts
For Hilalat, success is not measured only by the number of participants in a single event, but by the idea's ability to continue and grow, and to create an experience others can build on.
Success begins, he said, with participants enjoying the trip, discovering new areas, and coming away seeing Jordan as a destination worth visiting for off-roading. That impression, he said, can turn into a desire to return and participate again, or to invite others to try the experience.
The greater success, he said, would be for off-roading to become one of the gateways introducing people to Jordan, turning the event into a space that brings together sport, adventure, tourism, and the environment, benefiting local communities and tourism services in the areas that host its activities.
