Al Khayma Camp Dubai: What to Expect

Al Khayma Camp is the desert camp at the centre of the featured overnight safari — rated 4.9/5 by 2,581 guests by OceanAir Travels. Located in Dubai’s Lahbab desert among the Red Dunes, it’s a premium Bedouin-style camp that includes a three-cuisine buffet dinner, live entertainment, and overnight accommodation. Here’s exactly what to expect.

Location

Al Khayma Camp is situated in the Lahbab desert — the area of dramatic red sand dunes approximately 45 minutes southeast of Dubai city centre. Lahbab’s Red Dunes (named for their distinctive iron-rich colour) are the most photogenic desert landscape accessible from Dubai, and the camp is positioned within this area rather than on the city’s edge.

The drive from Dubai includes a stop to deflate the 4x4 tyres for off-road driving — a standard procedure that improves traction on sand — before heading into the dune field for the dune bashing section.

The Three-Buffet Dinner

The centrepiece of the Al Khayma Camp experience is the three-cuisine buffet — Emirati, Moroccan, and Arabian dishes served simultaneously across three separate stations. The dinner is provided by Al Khayma Heritage, which holds Michelin recognition for its Emirati cuisine offering.

What the three buffets typically include:

• Emirati: Dishes rooted in UAE traditional cuisine — slow-cooked meats, saffron rice, Luqaimat (honey dumplings), and regional vegetables
• Moroccan: Tagines, couscous, harira soup, and pastilla
• Arabian: Grilled meats, mezze, hummus, flatbreads, and regional sweets

Soft drinks and water are included. Alcoholic beverages are not served at the camp (Dubai’s desert areas are alcohol-free zones).

Entertainment Programme

The evening entertainment at Al Khayma Camp runs in sequence after dinner:

• Tanoura show — traditional Egyptian spinning dance, with the performer wearing a multi-coloured skirt that creates a visual pattern as he rotates continuously
• Yola dance — traditional Emirati line dance
• Mega Fire show — fire performance that serves as the centrepiece of the evening programme
• Falconry demonstration — falcon interaction and photography opportunity
• Henna painting — traditional henna artists available throughout the evening
• Arabian dress — traditional Emirati clothing available for photography
• Shisha — available throughout the camp

Stargazing (Overnight Guests)

After the entertainment programme ends and the camp lights go down, the Lahbab desert sky is one of the clearest stargazing environments accessible from Dubai. Al Khayma Camp provides a high-power telescope for guests on the overnight safari, allowing views of star clusters, planets, and — on clear nights — the Milky Way.

The overnight version of the tour specifically structures the timing around this: guests who want to stargaze do so after the entertainment, when the camp is quieter and the sky is fully dark.

Accommodation

Overnight guests sleep in private air-conditioned tents — a Bedouin-style canvas structure with proper beds, linens, and climate control. The desert in winter (December–February) can get genuinely cold at night; the air conditioning provides heat as well as cooling.

A premium luxury dome with private plunge pool option exists for couples and honeymoon guests — contact OceanAir Travels directly for availability and pricing on this option.

The Sunrise and Morning

The overnight safari continues at dawn with a sunrise camel trek — riding a camel to a viewpoint across the Red Dunes as the sun rises over the desert. This is one of the most photographed moments of the entire experience.

After the trek, Al Khayma Camp serves Arabian breakfast — dates, Gahwa (Arabic coffee), fresh bread, cheese, eggs, and regional sweets — before the 4x4 transfer back to Dubai.

Activities Available at Camp

For Families

Al Khayma Camp is family-friendly throughout. Children can participate in henna painting, falcon interactions, and the Arabian dress photo opportunity. The entertainment programme — particularly the fire show and spinning dance — tends to be a highlight for children. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult for camel rides; under 16 for quad biking.

Ready to Book?

The featured overnight desert safari at Al Khayma Camp — rated 4.9/5 by 2,581 guests — is operated by OceanAir Travels and includes hotel pickup from Dubai, Sharjah, or Ajman, dune bashing, the full camp programme, stargazing, overnight stay, and sunrise camel trek. From $180 per person with free cancellation.