Welcome to DubaiHiking.org. These Terms and Conditions set out the rules governing access to and use of the website located at https://dubaihiking.org/.
References to “DubaiHiking.org,” “we,” “us” and “our” mean the website and its current webmaster or authorised administrators. “You” and “your” refer to any visitor, contributor or person using the website.
1. Acceptance of these terms
By accessing or using DubaiHiking.org, you agree to these Terms and Conditions, our Privacy Policy and our Disclaimer.
If you do not agree, please do not use the website.
Where a feature requires separate consent—such as certain cookies, personalised advertising, a newsletter subscription or a specific submission licence—that consent may be requested independently.
2. About DubaiHiking.org
DubaiHiking.org is a non-profit community website created to encourage responsible enjoyment of hiking, climbing, geology, plants, heritage and outdoor activity in the UAE and surrounding region.
The website generally provides free informational and editorial content. If paid services, bookings, merchandise or commercial activities are added in the future, additional terms may apply.
Outdoor activities involve risk
Website content is not a substitute for current official information, professional guiding, appropriate training or personal judgement. Review the full Disclaimer before relying on route or safety information.
3. Acceptable use
You may use the website for lawful personal, educational and community purposes. You must not:
- Use the website for unlawful, fraudulent or harmful activity
- Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the website or its systems
- Introduce malware, automated attacks or disruptive code
- Scrape or harvest personal data without lawful authority
- Impersonate another person or misrepresent an affiliation
- Publish dangerous route information knowingly or recklessly
- Encourage unauthorised entry into protected, private or restricted areas
- Use the website to harass, threaten or defame another person
- Interfere with the normal operation or security of the website
We may restrict access, remove content or suspend a feature where reasonably necessary to protect visitors, the website, third parties or natural and heritage locations.
4. Routes, activities and outdoor information
Trail descriptions, maps, trip reports, plant profiles, geological notes, equipment lists and safety articles are provided for general information.
Roads, trails, borders, weather, access rules and protected-area conditions can change without notice. You are responsible for checking current conditions and determining whether an activity is suitable for your health, ability, equipment and experience.
Nothing on the website creates a guide–client, instructor–student, clinician–patient or rescue-provider relationship.
5. Intellectual property
Unless otherwise stated, original text, page design, branding and other website material are owned by or licensed to DubaiHiking.org. Third-party photographs, trademarks, quotations and embedded material remain the property of their respective owners.
You may:
- View and use public pages for personal, non-commercial purposes
- Share links to public pages
- Quote short extracts with clear attribution and a link to the source
Without prior written permission, you must not:
- Republish an entire article or substantial part of the website
- Sell, rent, sublicense or commercially exploit website content
- Copy the website design, branding or article library
- Remove copyright notices, credits or attribution
- Use our name or logo in a way that implies endorsement
Statutory exceptions and rights that apply under applicable copyright law remain unaffected.
6. Comments and community submissions
The website may allow comments, articles, photographs, corrections, route notes or other submissions. Contributions represent the views and experiences of their authors, not necessarily those of DubaiHiking.org.
By submitting content, you confirm that:
- You are entitled to submit it
- You have obtained necessary permissions and consents
- It does not infringe copyright, privacy, trademark or other rights
- It is not defamatory, threatening, obscene or unlawful
- It does not expose sensitive personal or protected-site information
- It does not promote unsafe, deceptive or illegal outdoor conduct
- It is not unsolicited advertising or spam
You retain ownership of your original submission. You grant DubaiHiking.org a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, reproduce, format, edit for clarity, display, archive and promote the submission in connection with the website and its community channels.
We may reject, moderate, edit or remove submissions at our discretion, particularly where content is inaccurate, unsafe, unlawful, irrelevant or inconsistent with community standards.
Sensitive locations
Do not submit precise coordinates for vulnerable archaeological, geological, wildlife or plant sites unless publication is authorised and appropriate.
7. Linking to DubaiHiking.org
Government bodies, search engines, news organisations, educational institutions, community groups, directories and other websites may link to public pages without prior permission, provided that the link:
- Is lawful and not misleading
- Does not imply sponsorship or endorsement without permission
- Does not misrepresent our content
- Fits the context of the linking website
- Does not use our logo as though it were the linker's own branding
We may request removal or correction of a link that is deceptive, unlawful, harmful, misleading or falsely implies an association with DubaiHiking.org.
8. Links and content from other websites
DubaiHiking.org may link to or embed third-party maps, videos, images, booking services, government pages, retailers and other resources.
We do not control third-party availability, content, prices, safety standards, privacy practices or terms. A link does not automatically mean that we endorse every statement, product or service offered by that third party.
You should review external terms, safety information and privacy notices before using a third-party service.
9. Frames and altered presentation
You must not frame, mirror or embed our pages in a way that:
- Changes or conceals the original presentation
- Removes attribution, advertising or navigation
- Misleads users about who operates the content
- Suggests an unauthorised partnership or endorsement
Normal links and ordinary social-media previews are permitted.
10. Privacy and cookies
Personal data and cookies are handled as described in our Privacy Policy.
Some features may use essential cookies. Analytics, advertising or other non-essential technologies may be subject to consent choices where required.
11. Website availability and accuracy
We aim to keep the website useful and available, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted access, permanent storage, freedom from errors or compatibility with every device or browser.
We may update, correct, remove, reorganise or discontinue content or features without notice.
Although reasonable efforts are made to improve accuracy, we do not warrant that every article is complete, current or suitable for a particular trip or purpose.
12. Security and prohibited technical activity
You must not probe, scan or test the website's security without permission. Automated access must not create excessive load, bypass controls or interfere with other users.
We may block traffic, addresses, accounts or automated systems associated with abuse, security threats or excessive requests.
13. Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, DubaiHiking.org and its webmaster, contributors and volunteers exclude implied warranties and will not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential or special loss arising from:
- Reliance on website information
- Participation in an outdoor activity
- Use of or inability to use the website
- Third-party websites, products or services
- User submissions or comments
- Loss of data, opportunity or anticipated benefit
Nothing in these terms excludes or restricts liability, rights or duties that cannot lawfully be excluded, including liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation and any mandatory consumer or statutory rights.
The website is currently provided free of charge. This is relevant to the scope of the service, but it does not remove any legal obligation that applies regardless of price.
14. Responsibility for your misuse
To the extent permitted by law, you are responsible for loss or claims arising directly from your unlawful use of the website, infringement of another person's rights or breach of warranties given in relation to content you submit.
This clause does not require you to compensate us for loss caused by our own unlawful conduct or negligence where liability cannot legally be shifted.
15. Changes to these terms
We may revise these Terms and Conditions when the website, its features or applicable requirements change.
Updated terms will be published on this page with a revised date. Continued use after publication means the updated terms apply to future use, subject to any consent or notice required by law.
16. Applicable law and jurisdiction
These terms are intended to be governed by the applicable laws of the United Arab Emirates and, where relevant, the laws and courts of the Emirate of Dubai.
Mandatory rights and jurisdiction rules that apply to a user cannot be overridden by this clause.
17. Severability
If any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply to the extent legally possible.
18. Contact us
Contact us to report an error, rights concern, harmful link, misuse of the website or question about these terms.