A BBQ in the desert is one of the easiest ways to turn a normal evening into something your group will remember. You get the sunset over the dunes, a fire to sit around and a whole stretch of sand to yourselves, and you are only a short drive from the city.

This guide covers how the night runs, when to arrive, what to bring and how to plan the food for your group.

How the night runs

Your setup is built before you get there. You meet your setup leader at the meeting point, which any car can reach, and they take you the few hundred metres to your camp.

When you arrive, everything is waiting: majlis-style floor seating with cushions, chairs for everyone, a floor BBQ and gas stove, a raised fire pit, and lights and lanterns around the space. Bigger groups get more than one BBQ, so nobody is stuck waiting for the grill.

From there the evening is yours until midnight. Most groups light the BBQ as soon as they arrive. The floor BBQs work like any standard barbecue, and the charcoal takes 20 to 30 minutes to get up to temperature, so it is ready just as everyone has settled in.

The part guests love most comes after sunset. As the light fades, the solar lanterns come on, the fire pit gets going and the whole setup glows against the dunes. From dusk into the evening, with the stars out and open desert all around you, is what makes a desert BBQ feel so different from a dinner in the city.

When to arrive

There are three arrival times: 4pm, 5pm and 6pm. In the cooler months the sun sets at around 5:30pm, so arriving at 4pm or 5pm gives you daylight to settle in and the sunset over the dunes before dinner. A 6pm arrival suits groups who are coming straight from work and want to go straight to the fire and the food.

What is already there

• Majlis-style floor seating with cushions, plus chairs for your whole group

• A floor BBQ and gas stove, with several for bigger groups

• A raised fire pit

• Lights and lanterns around the setup

• Cooking utensils, pots and pans, plates, cups and cutlery

• A cooler box

You can see the full list on our BBQ what’s included page.

What to bring

• All your food and drink. Nomadic does not provide food or catering.

• Ice for the cooler box

• Charcoal for the BBQ and firewood for the fire pit, or add them to your booking: charcoal is AED 60 + VAT a bag and firewood is AED 75 + VAT a bag

• Warm layers, as desert evenings get cool after sunset in winter

• A charged power bank, as there is no mains power at the setup

A portable toilet setup can be added for AED 200 + VAT, which is worth it for longer evenings and bigger groups.

Planning the food for your group

Keep it simple and easy to grill. For a big group you can never go wrong with:

• Meat skewers of any kind

• Burgers

• Arabic bread

• Garlic sauce and hummus

• Tabbouleh and a couple of ready-made salads

• Something sweet for after dinner

Marinating at home and bringing everything in sealed containers saves a lot of time once you are there.

How much charcoal and firewood

For a group of 10 to 20 people, one bag of charcoal is usually enough for the BBQ. For the fire pit, two to three bags of firewood will last the whole evening if you use it sparingly. Start with four or five pieces to get the fire going, then add one or two at a time as it dies down, and you will have more than enough until the end of your setup.

The fire pit sits on a raised platform. Fires on the sand itself are not allowed under municipality rules, and keeping them off the ground helps keep the desert clean for everyone.

Music and the atmosphere

Speakers are not part of the setup, but you are welcome to bring your own. Keep the volume friendly, as sound carries a long way across the open desert.

Celebrating something? You are very welcome to bring decorations, a cake or anything else to make the setup your own.

Group sizes and prices

Every BBQ setup is private to your group and sized to fit: up to 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 people. It works well for birthdays, farewells, team nights and family get-togethers. Prices start from AED 1,497 + VAT for up to 10 people, AED 1,697 + VAT for up to 15 and AED 1,897 + VAT for up to 20.

Want to stay the night?

If your group would rather sleep under the stars than drive home at midnight, our tent rental in Dubai gives you a fully set-up camp with glamping tents for up to 4 per tent, air mattresses with duvets and pillows, a BBQ and a fire pit. Our packing list for desert camping covers what to bring for an overnight stay.

Book your desert BBQ

Pick your date, your group size and your arrival time on our private desert BBQ page. Everything is set up before you arrive, so all you need to bring is the food and your favourite people.