This $81 Million Mountain Road Goes Nowhere

This is Jebel Jais, a 22-mile stretch of pavement climbing to, well, not really anywhere in particular.

That's not quite right. At 1,930 meters above sea level, Jebel Al Jais the mountain is the highest peak in the UAE, and this is the road that gets to the peak. It was completed only last year.

A BMW M3 driver recently took his family up to the top and wrote up this handy guide, which points out that there are no services along the road or at the top. No cafe, no toilets, no gas along the way. Fill up at nearby Ras Al Khaimah on what you'll need and enjoy the view from there.

Like the UAE's other dream road, the Jebel Hafeet, the road seems principally designed for driving for pleasure rather than necessary transportation.

I mean, just look at this recent Jaguar PR film tackling the road and you'll see what I mean.

And here are some absolutely stunning shots from Jaguar's Middle East press office showing off the hairpins along the route.

These are the Ras Al Khaimah mountains, and I think I need to go to them.

The road starts at Wadi Al Beah, the National explains and climbs from there to the northeastern tip of the UAE, the top of Jebel Al Jais.

The National also claims that the road cost the UAE Dh300 million, or about $81 million USD.

This is what I believe to be the route on Google Maps. It's hard to grasp how twisty it looks.

I'm not sure there's a better kind of road than one that goes nowhere.

Photo Credits: Jaguar Middle East and North Africa

Contact the author at raphael@jalopnik.com.