Dubai’s desert is about to get a lot more adrenaline. The Fort Lisaili, the desert dining and entertainment destination 45 minutes from Downtown Dubai, is getting an AED 8 million expansion that includes the UAE’s first dune-top desert zipline. If you’ve already done the usual desert safari circuit, this is the one to actually get excited about.
The news comes from Arabian Adventures, part of the Emirates Group, which unveiled the plans at Arabian Travel Market Dubai 2026. Here’s everything confirmed so far, and when you can actually go.
What Is The Fort Lisaili, and Why Does It Matter?
If you haven’t been, The Fort Lisaili opened in November 2024 as a fort-style desert camp near Al Marmoom, close to Al Qudra Lake and the cycling track everyone in Dubai has ridden at least once. It built its name on flexibility. Instead of a fixed package, you choose your own evening from a mix of camel rides, dune buggy drives, quad biking, a BBQ buffet, fire shows, henna, archery, and a sunset lounge with a full bar.
It clearly worked. Two years in, Arabian Adventures is treating it as proof of concept rather than a one-off, and putting real money behind making it bigger.
The UAE’s First Dune-Top Desert Zipline
Here’s the headline feature: a 250-metre zipline launching from the crest of a sand dune, the first of its kind in the UAE. Picture the usual desert sunset view, except you’re flying over it instead of watching it from a majlis cushion.
It’s the centrepiece of phase one, arriving alongside an authentic Arabic market, a VIP majlis, new dune-facing dining concepts, and a dedicated children’s play area. There’s also new event space built for everything from small private celebrations to full corporate gatherings.
When You Can Actually Go?
Here’s the timeline, since the rollout happens in stages rather than all at once:
- Now: The Fort is closed for redevelopment
- October 2026: The original experience reopens for bookings
- January 2027: Phase one launches, including the zipline, Arabic market, VIP majlis, new dining and the kids’ play area
- July 2027: Phase two launches, adding a visitor centre with cafés, retail, prayer rooms, elevated viewing decks, VIP lounges, and dedicated camel and animal encounters
So if you’re planning a desert night out for this winter season, you’ll be visiting the original experience. The zipline and everything else is a 2027 trip.
Why Arabian Adventures Is Betting Big on This?
Sébastien Doussin, Senior Vice President of Global Travel Services & Destination Management at dnata Travel Group, said The Fort has “exceeded expectations” since opening, drawing both tourists and UAE residents looking for a more flexible way to experience the desert. According to Doussin, the goal is a destination that combines “adventure, dining, entertainment, and cultural experiences” in a way guests can shape around their own pace, with enough new additions that people keep coming back rather than treating it as a one-time tourist stop.
That resident angle is worth noting. Desert experiences in Dubai often get marketed at tourists first, but this expansion is explicitly being built with locals in mind too.
Insider tip: If you’re already considering The Fort for a group booking or a birthday, book the original experience once it reopens in October before phase one launches. Prices are likely to shift once the zipline and new dining concepts go live in January, so you can currently lock in the existing AED 100 to 175 per person rate before the destination’s profile (and pricing) goes up.
Details at a Glance
- Investment: AED 8 million, multi-phase expansion
- Location: Al Lisaili, 45 minutes from Downtown Dubai
- Reopens for bookings: October 2026
- Phase one launch: January 2027
- Phase two launch: July 2027
- Operator: Arabian Adventures, part of the Emirates Group
If you’re planning your winter calendar around Dubai’s other big outdoor attractions, this is a good one to slot in alongside our guide to things to do in Dubai and the season’s top winter attractions and events.
FAQs
It’s a desert dining and entertainment destination near Al Lisaili, about 45 minutes from Downtown Dubai, run by Arabian Adventures. It offers camel rides, dune buggy drives, quad biking, BBQ dining and live entertainment.
The UAE’s first dune-top desert zipline is part of phase one of The Fort’s expansion, launching in January 2027.
It’s currently closed for redevelopment. The original experience reopens for bookings from October 2026.
The original experience has previously been priced from around AED 100 per person for self-drive access, or AED 175 per person with shared transfers included.
Phase two, launching July 2027, adds a visitor centre with cafés and retail, prayer rooms, elevated viewing decks, VIP lounges, and dedicated camel and animal encounters.
Images: Supplied
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