Jebel Hafit rises out of the flat desert like a wall of grey limestone, and at its foot lie some of the oldest tombs in the Arabian Peninsula. Hili 2 is part of the archaeological park on the edge of Al Ain, in Abu Dhabi emirate, where beehive-shaped stone tombs were built around five thousand years ago, in what archaeologists call the Umm an-Nar period. The round towers of neatly cut stone, some with carved animals and human figures on the doorways, held collective burials, and the place is also home to remains of a Bronze Age settlement and ancient irrigation channels called falaj. The tombs, together with the oases and the hill, are part of the UNESCO listing of the cultural sites of Al Ain, inscribed in 2011.
The oasis is the second story. Al Ain means the spring, and for millennia the date palm groves have been watered by underground channels bringing water from the hills. Walking through the old plantations, among mud-brick walls and shaded lanes, is a cool relief from the surrounding heat, and you can see how settled life in the desert depended on this clever engineering.
The ride that most bikers want is the road up Jebel Hafit. About twelve kilometres long, with more than sixty bends, it climbs to over twelve hundred metres at a viewing platform, with smooth asphalt, wide curves and dramatic views over Al Ain and the desert to Oman. It is popular with drivers and cyclists, especially at weekends and sunset, so go early or on a weekday, and watch for sand on the corners. At the top there is a hotel and a small parking area.
Al Ain has about half a million people and Al Buraymī, across the Omani border, about seventy-four thousand, so fuel and food are easy. The border crossing at Buraimi requires visas and insurance, and rules for motorcycles change, so check them first. Summers are punishingly hot, with temperatures above forty-five degrees, so the season runs from November to March, when mornings are cool and clear. Drink water constantly, wear a light jacket for the speed, and finish with a cup of Arabic coffee and fresh dates.