Officially open to the public this week, Al Forsan International Sports Resort has something for everyone – from shooting, horse riding and go-karting to paintball, wakeboarding and waterskiing. Abu Dhabi Week just had to take a look to see what’s on offer …

Located behind the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, on the outskirts of Khalifa City A, the Al Forsan International Sports Resort is hard to miss. Turning off Airport Road by the Zayed Cricket Stadium, the yellow-walled complex looms before us – just keep an eye out for the large iron statue of horse and rider guarding the well-manicured lawns of the gatehouse.

As we pull up, a smiling security guard waves us through the barriers and gives us a map of the resort. We need it too as Al Forsan is absolutely massive (apparently it’s spread out over more than 1.6 million square metres) and, only a week after officially opening to the public, they are still in the process of installing road signs – something that shouldn’t be completely alien to us Abu Dhabi residents.

Driving down the main road to the resort’s clubhouse takes a good five minutes but this gives us an opportunity to take in the sheer scope of the place. On the right hand side, we drive past the seemingly never-ending Equestrian Centre – hundreds of stables surround the central arena, show jumping course and polo field – while on the left, three large inflatable domes house the paintball zones.

Straight over two islands, around a huge outdoor amphitheatre and we reach the main car park, nestled in the shadows of the imposing clubhouse. It’s still early but the sun is shining brightly, so the blast of cool air conditioning comes as a welcome relief when we enter the double-height glass-domed lobby.

Set right in the centre of the plot, the clubhouse really is the hub of Al Forsan. Gleaming marble staircases lead off the lobby on all sides – it is from here that visitors can gain access to the healthily well-equipped gym, member’s lounges and three of the resort’s five restaurants, including The Café – our first port of call.

Sipping a freshly brewed coffee, the floor-to-ceiling glass walls give us an uninterrupted view of the rear half of the resort. Immediately ahead of us is the Motor Sports centre and the CIK-approved professional go-kart circuit, which looks just like a miniature version of the F1 track on Yas Island. In the far distance we can just make out the dirt trails of the intriguing off-road buggy course, while over to the left are the two pristine man-made freshwater lakes where budding wakeboarders and water-skiers can polish up on their skills at they get towed around the region’s first cable park.

Finishing off our drinks, we leave the clubhouse, taking in the lush green football pitches and selection of volleyball, basketball and tennis courts. A short walk around the outside of the Motor Sports Centre and we reach the shooting range. In addition to archery, laser simulators and numerous indoor pistol and rifle ranges, the Al Forsan shooting centre is the only place in the UAE with dedicated clay pigeon shooting fields.

Next up, we take a short drive to check out the indoor paintball zones. Anyone who’s been to the Dome on Airport Road will know what to expect – except in this case, the air-conditioned inflatable domes house differently themed paintball courses. Our favourite has to be the wackily-futuristic Alien Zone – it has to be seen to be believed.

A couple of hours is simply not enough time to explore everything that Al Forsan has too offer – there truly is something for everyone.

We’ve already earmarked next weekend to come back and try the live fire simulators in the shooting centre. Or maybe we’ll give wakeboarding a go. Or maybe the dirt buggies. Or maybe … oh well, you get the idea.

Al Forsan International Sports Resort is now officially open to the public. Entrance costs AED 55 with each visitor being given a card that can be topped up with credit to be used throughout the resort.

For more information, visit www.alforsan.com or call 02 556 8555.

Jon Muller

Something for everyone…

Horses for courses
The Equestrian Centre at Al Forsan offers both outdoor and air conditioned indoor arenas for training and lessons, a fully floodlit polo field, show jumping courses, private horse riding tuition and indoor air conditioned stables for more than 150 horses. There’s even a selection of smaller ponies to keep the junior horse lovers happy.

Fast and furious
For high-speed thrills, the Motor Sports Centre is a perfect day out. The centre has a karting circuit, including a Supermoto section that meets FIM regulations, three different types of kart that can reach speeds up to 70mph and a monitored circuit with cameras to catch all the action. Other facilities include twin-seat and 270cc karts, beginner and advanced tuition and a kids karting track. For the more adventurous, there is even a 2km off-road dirt-buggy track.

Wet and wild
For more aqua-based fun, the Water Sports Centre is an ideal stop-off. It is home to the region’s first Cable Park – an over-head cable system built around the banks of a freshwater lake that pulls wakeboarders and water-skiers along at speeds of 29-38kph.

Friendly fire
Back on dry land, the Paintball fields are perfect for letting off steam. There are three indoor, air-conditioned domes for players to roam around during paintball shoot-outs with rival gunners. Each arena has a different theme including the Wild West and World War II Pacific Island Zone. The centre also has an international standard, fully floodlit tournament field for the best paintballers in town.

Hitting the bullseye
Over at the Shooting Centre, trigger-happy visitors will find a variety of handgun and rifle ranges, archery lanes and indoor laser simulators, as well as the first Olympic-standard clay pigeon shooting fields in the region. In total, the centre has 18 sporting clay ranges with four different traps, including four air-conditioned clay ranges based in luxurious pavilions.