Tens of thousands ride bikes on typically busy Dubai highway

For a few brief hours on Sunday, the skyscraper-lined superhighway that cuts through the center of Dubai emptied of the cars always clogging it to give way to tens of thousands of bicyclists.

The annual Dubai Ride saw bikes race down Sheikh Zayed Road, a 10-lane asphalt jungle that gives drivers a view of the world's tallest building and other sites.

This year's ride began before sunrise in Dubai. As dawn broke, bicyclists posed for photographs along the highway and cheered as they zipped along.