Velodrome Abu Dhabi: Inside Hudayriyat Island's New Cycling Arena

Over recent years, Abu Dhabi has given cycling an increasingly prominent place in the life of the capital. New routes have opened the sport to everyday riders, while international events have brought leading competitors to the emirate. Velodrome Abu Dhabi is the next substantial addition, providing a permanent indoor arena for championship racing, regular training and wider community use.

Due to open in December 2026, the venue brings two quite different cycling experiences into one building. At its centre will be a 250-metre UCI Category 1 track created for elite competition. Around the exterior, a 600-metre ramp will climb towards a rooftop cycling circuit, opening up views across Hudayriyat Island, the coast and the Abu Dhabi skyline.

Its location is equally relevant. Hudayriyat already accommodates road cycling, mountain biking and international sporting events, while its wider masterplan places homes, beaches and leisure facilities around an extensive network of routes. The velodrome adds indoor track cycling to that choice.

When Will Velodrome Abu Dhabi Open?

SIXDAYS Abu Dhabi will inaugurate the venue from 11 to 13 December 2026. The event’s official programme confirms that the three-day meeting will mark the opening of Velodrome Abu Dhabi, providing a clear date for spectators, cyclists and visitors planning to attend.

Although it retains the SIXDAYS name, the inaugural Abu Dhabi edition will run across three days. Leading international riders will compete in a series of close, fast races that introduce audiences to the speed, endurance and tactical exchanges of track cycling.

The event also places the new arena within Abu Dhabi’s established international calendar. The capital has previously hosted the UCI Urban Cycling World Championships, while Hudayriyat Island will welcome the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in 2028.

 

An Indoor Track and a Rooftop Circuit

At the centre of FaulknerBrowns’ design for Modon is a 250-metre Olympic-format track. The Abu Dhabi Media Office describes it as the first UCI Category 1 indoor cycling track in the region, giving the capital a permanent arena capable of staging international championships.

The venue will provide seating for 3,500 spectators, while the official SIXDAYS website gives a total permitted capacity of 6,250. Its compact arrangement will keep audiences close to the banked circuit, where changes in pace, position and team tactics can be followed throughout a race.

The building’s most distinctive feature sits above the indoor arena. A cycling ramp winds for 600 metres around the outer walls, carrying riders from ground level to a rooftop circuit with views across Hudayriyat Island, the coastline and the city beyond. SIXDAYS Abu Dhabi describes this as the world’s first rooftop cycling circuit.

The two measurements refer to separate parts of the venue. The 250-metre indoor circuit is the professional competition track; the 600-metre figure describes the external ramp leading to the roof. This arrangement allows championship racing to take place indoors while the rooftop provides a more open recreational ride.

 

Who Will Be Able to Use Velodrome Abu Dhabi?

The arena is intended to serve professional, intermediate and amateur cyclists. According to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, support facilities are being planned for riders at each level, allowing elite preparation to sit alongside wider participation.

SIXDAYS Abu Dhabi also sets out an ambition to welcome enthusiasts, support grassroots cycling and create clearer routes from initial participation towards higher-level performance. Coaching, club activity and recreational sessions can therefore give the building a continuing purpose between international meetings. Public schedules and booking arrangements will provide the practical details as the opening approaches.

 

How the Velodrome Fits Abu Dhabi’s Cycling Network

Abu Dhabi’s recognition as a UCI Bike City in 2021 confirmed that the capital’s cycling ambitions extended beyond international competition. It became the first city in both the Middle East and Asia to receive the designation, which considers investment in infrastructure, community participation and major events.

At the time, the Union Cycliste Internationale recorded 300 kilometres of dedicated cycling routes across the emirate. Hudayriyat Island accounted for 28 kilometres of waterside tracks, while plans for the wider city included extending the network towards 1,000 kilometres. The proposed 109-kilometre Abu Dhabi Loop will form part of that expansion, creating a segregated route between important destinations around the capital.

Hudayriyat’s masterplan adds considerably to this provision, with the Abu Dhabi Media Office setting out plans for a 220-kilometre cycling network across the island. Trail X already provides 15 kilometres of mountain-bike routes, while open-air tracks accommodate road training and recreational rides beside the water.

The velodrome completes another part of that programme. Its indoor track offers a controlled setting for coaching and competition, while the ramp and rooftop circuit introduce an elevated route above the island. Riders will consequently have a choice extending from a coastal cycle to mountain biking and championship-level track racing.

 

What the Velodrome Adds to Hudayriyat Island

With a masterplan spanning more than 51 million square metres, Hudayriyat is being developed at the scale of a new part of the capital. Its 53.5 kilometres of coastline include 16 kilometres of beaches, around which homes, hospitality, parks and sports facilities are being planned.

Velodrome Abu Dhabi joins Surf Abu Dhabi, 321 Sports, Trail X and the outdoor cycling routes in giving the island its active character. For residents, this brings substantial sporting infrastructure closer to home. Nawayef, Wadeem and Al Naseem form part of the same island plan, placing residential communities within reach of beaches, parks and cycling routes.

At the time of publication, Dubai Sotheby’s International Realty is presenting five-bedroom villas in Nawayef West. The community’s position within Hudayriyat illustrates the wider residential relevance of the velodrome: international events will bring visitors to the island, while regular access can make its facilities part of residents’ weekly routines.

 

A New Home for Cycling in Abu Dhabi

Velodrome Abu Dhabi brings together elite competition, community participation and a growing network of connected routes. SIXDAYS Abu Dhabi will present the new arena to an international audience on 11 December 2026; beyond that opening weekend, professional training, club activities and recreational riding will give it a permanent place within Hudayriyat.