Marjan bets $millions on Jebel Jais multi-day trail network to capture premium adventure t
Developer invests in premium mountain tourism infrastructure to capture high-yield adventure traveler spending.
Marjan, the investment, hospitality and lifestyle company operating in Ras Al Khaimah, is betting on multi-day mountain experiences to unlock a new tourism revenue stream at Jebel Jais, the UAE’s highest peak. The company has announced plans for an 80-kilometer Grand Loop trail and a five-day Via Ferrata climbing route, a capital commitment that signals a deliberate shift toward the higher-yield, experienced-hiker segment of the outdoor recreation market.
The Grand Loop is the centerpiece of the build-out. The multi-day mountain route integrates with existing Jebel Jais trails and accommodates hiking, climbing, camping and cycling, broadening the range of visitor spending occasions across the emirate’s hospitality and leisure ecosystem. The Via Ferrata, a 20-kilometer dedicated climbing experience spanning four sections of varying difficulty, adds a premium product layer. Mountain shelters accessible only on foot will support the route, and its design draws directly from the Via Delle Bocchette in Italy’s Brenta Dolomites, positioning Ras Al Khaimah within a global climbing tourism market that commands serious traveler expenditure.
Additional reference context is available at https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/09/15/ras-al-khaimah-jebel-jais-grand-loop-via-ferrata-hiking/.
Development is expected to continue through the 2026-27 season, though Marjan has not committed to a specific completion date. Trail rehabilitation is already underway on the Wadi Khammed to Hidden Oasis route, with crews improving existing sections, adding connecting trails, installing directional signage, and upgrading trail widths, grades and rock crossings. Mountain rescue support will be integrated throughout the network.
The economic logic is straightforward. Mountaineering coach Faisal Shalmani pointed to the multiplier effect: new trails attract visitors and generate business for nearby hotels, cafes, restaurants and licensed hiking guides. The infrastructure investment, in other words, is not self-contained. It seeds a broader commercial ecosystem. Laith Al Habahbeh, a hiker with more than a decade of experience on these mountains, described the new routes as “much needed” and “a welcome addition,” noting that experienced users have already exhausted the existing trail network. He framed the multi-day routes as training ground for larger expeditions such as climbing Kilimanjaro, a detail that hints at the aspirational, high-engagement traveler Marjan is targeting.
Donald Bremner, chief executive of Marjan Lifestyle, a subsidiary of Marjan, said development priorities span trail construction, user navigation, climbing management and environmental protection. That last priority carries real financial risk. Marjan commissioned a biodiversity assessment by Ajaz Environment Consultants that identified 45 plant species, 29 bird species and eight mammal species in the Jebel Jais area, including the Arabian red fox, Afro-Asiatic wildcat, Brandt’s hedgehog and Arabian spiny mouse. The findings will guide trail planning, habitat protection and environmental monitoring, and serve as a baseline for future surveys.
By contrast, Shalmani raised a harder-edged concern about the cost of getting growth management wrong. He recommended screening or strict regulation for hikers to prevent environmental degradation from excessive foot traffic, and cautioned that heavy construction, including rock movement, cemented steps, metal railings and terrain alteration, could disrupt delicate mountain ecosystems in ways that cannot be undone once natural habitat is lost. Irreversible environmental damage would undermine the very asset Marjan is monetizing.
Work is also underway to develop operational standards and a consistent management framework for the climbing network, protocols that will ultimately determine whether the expansion can scale without eroding the product quality that justifies the investment. Whether Marjan’s regulatory framework and visitor management model prove robust enough to protect that asset, while still delivering the visitor volumes the economics require, is the question the 2026-27 season will begin to answer.
Q&A
What is the scale and composition of Marjan's infrastructure investment at Jebel Jais?
Marjan is developing an 80-kilometer Grand Loop trail and a five-day, 20-kilometer Via Ferrata climbing route spanning four sections of varying difficulty, with mountain shelters accessible only on foot and design modeled on Italy's Brenta Dolomites.
What is the economic logic driving the investment?
New trails attract visitors and generate business for nearby hotels, cafes, restaurants and licensed hiking guides, creating a multiplier effect across the hospitality and leisure ecosystem. The routes target experienced hikers seeking training for larger expeditions such as climbing Kilimanjaro.
What environmental risks does the expansion pose?
A biodiversity assessment identified 45 plant species, 29 bird species and eight mammal species including the Arabian red fox, Afro-Asiatic wildcat, Brandt's hedgehog and Arabian spiny mouse. Heavy construction including rock movement, cemented steps, metal railings and terrain alteration could cause irreversible habitat damage that undermines the asset Marjan is monetizing.
What is the timeline and key operational challenge for the project?
Development is expected to continue through the 2026-27 season, though no specific completion date has been committed. The key challenge is whether Marjan's visitor management model and regulatory framework can scale the expansion while protecting environmental integrity and maintaining product quality that justifies the investment.