When the halls in Berlin are fully booked and nobody plays outdoors any more, Dubai is in high season: from October to May daytime temperatures sit between 22 and 30 degrees – and free courts on several beaches are busy every evening. This guide shows you where to go, what it costs and how to find people to play with within a day.
Two courts right on the promenade – in the evening play runs almost non-stop.
The short answer: Kite Beach
If you only head for one place, make it Kite Beach. The beach in Umm Suqeim is the centre of Dubai’s beach volleyball scene and one of the most active spots in the entire Gulf region. There are more than a dozen courts, and using the public ones is free and needs no booking.
The decisive difference to Berlin: the courts are floodlit. That solves the problem everything else fails at – between ten and six it is too hot, but from 7 pm the sand fills up again. Kite Beach is the only freely accessible, floodlit beach volleyball spot in the city.
The Burj Al Arab stands in the background, the Arabian Gulf in front. Once a year the same courts host the FIVB Beach Pro Tour – the Dubai Challenge with 24 of the world’s best teams per gender. Watching is free.
All the places to play
Free courts
| Location | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Kite Beach | More than a dozen courts, floodlit, the most active scene. Come before 5 pm or expect a queue. |
| JBR Beach | Two courts, very social, restaurants right behind. Ball rental at the kiosk around AED 30. |
| Sunset Beach | Quieter than Kite Beach, Burj Al Arab in view. A regular group meets here on Thursdays. |
| Jumeirah Public Beach | Open around the clock, floodlights, handy if you stay in Jumeirah. |
| Al Mamzar Beach Park | AED 5 park entry, in return floodlit courts, shade and barbecue areas. Ideal for beginners and families. |
Courts you can book
| Location | Price |
|---|---|
| Esperia Academy (Kite Beach) | 8 bookable courts via volley.ae, maximum 4 hours per day and group |
| La Mer Beach | around AED 100 per hour (about 25 euros), net and ball included |
| NAS Sports Complex | around AED 100 per hour, coaching sessions with licensed coaches around AED 150 |
| Soul Beach (Palm Jumeirah) | around AED 150 per hour, concierge booking only |
| Dubai Sports World (indoor) | June to September, air-conditioned, around AED 120 per hour |
Prices as of July 2026, according to the operators. AED 100 is roughly 25 euros. No guarantee – it is worth asking on site.
When to travel
October to May is the season. The best conditions are in November and December as well as March and April: mild, usually some wind and all courts available.
Between June and September daytime temperatures climb above 40 degrees. Then people play before nine in the morning or after 7 pm under floodlights – or move indoors.
For Berliners the timing is almost too good: exactly when the outdoor season ends here, the best period starts there. The flight takes about six and a half hours and the time difference is a harmless two hours.
How to find players within a day
This is where most people hesitate: turning up alone at an unfamiliar beach and asking to join. In Dubai it works surprisingly well, because almost every player moved there themselves.
- Just show up. At Kite Beach open games form continuously from 5 pm on weekdays. Bring a ball and ask between rallies – that is completely normal there.
- WhatsApp groups. The fastest route. Search for “Dubai Beach Volleyball” or ask in an expat group and you are in within minutes.
- The MeetNtrain app. Fixed evenings are listed there, typically 8 to 10 pm at Kite Beach, usually capped at 18 players, from around AED 40 per person. The advantage: you see in advance whether there is space.
- Academies. Esperia at Kite Beach and Rio Volleyball Academy run courses from beginner to advanced and place you in existing training groups.
What to know before you go
- Bring your own ball. Renting costs AED 30 to 50 per session and is not always available.
- More water than you think. Reckon on at least 1.5 litres per person for two hours of play.
- Sand costs energy. On sand you need roughly a third more energy than on a firm surface. Indoor players regularly underestimate this.
- Giving up the court is normal. Public courts rotate. Stepping off after your game is simply expected.
- Clothing. Normal beach rules apply on the sand; on the way there and in malls people dress more modestly.
Is the trip worth it for players?
If you take beach volleyball seriously: yes. You get sand under your feet every day during the European winter, meet a very mixed international field and usually pay nothing for playing itself. For a week with two to three hours of play a day you need barely any budget beyond flights and accommodation.
If you are still at the beginning, keep expectations realistic: the evening standard at Kite Beach is decent. For getting started, Al Mamzar or a beginners’ course at one of the academies is the better fit – there you begin without pressure.
Build confidence in the sand first
To enjoy the trip, your reception and setting should hold up. That is exactly what we work on in our camps in Berlin – in groups by level from A1 to F3, so you can play rather than watch.
