Offline by the HUNTR x ballad: Farm Lunch at Wadi Al Helo

It's not every day you get to eat on a farm in the UAE. Let alone an Emirati-owned heritage farm filled with generational wisdom, stories passed down through decades, and a farmer who has been quietly perfecting the art of growing rice in the UAE – something most would consider impossible.

Offline by the HUNTR returns for a second gathering, this time in partnership with Ballad, the art and culinary studio run by Emirati creator Moza Almatrooshi.

We're heading to Wadi Al Helo – a working heritage farm nestled in the mountains of the Eastern Region, where the land has been farmed for generations. This is a chance to connect on ancient ground, to experience something few will ever have access to, and to do something totally unexpected with your Saturday.

January offers the perfect conditions: clear skies, cool mountain air, and the gentle warmth of the winter sun. There's no better time to be outdoors in this part of the country.

The day unfolds slowly. You'll meet the farmer, walk the land, and sit down together for a three-course vegetarian lunch cooked outdoors using produce grown on site. The menu is seasonal, shaped entirely by what the farm is yielding at the time.

Beyond the farm, an open archaeological site with visible Bronze Age remains sits within the surrounding landscape. Guests are welcome to explore before or after lunch.

This is a community event – a highly curated, soulful gathering for those who want more than the usual.

Getting there

This experience requires your own transport. If you don't have a car, hourly driver services are available – we're not affiliated with them, but you can check zentroride.com or oneclickdrive.com for hourly hire bookings from Dubai.

Once you've booked, we'll share a curated guide especially for your road trip, with our favourite spots to stop off en route in partnership with Ballad.

About Ballad

Ballad is an art and culinary studio run by Moza Almatrooshi, creating landscape-to-table hospitality experiences across the Hajar Mountains in the UAE and Oman. The studio operates through an artistic research methodology shaped by farmers, botanists, beekeepers, and those who have historically sustained symbiosis with the land.