Exclusive: Cowboys shut down Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road

The group of actors rode down the motorway in the early hours of Sunday morning

A group of cowboys took over Sheikh Zayed Road in the early hours of Sunday morning. Photo: Ruel Pableo for The National

The group of cowboys rode down the highway to promote the new season of Paramount TV show Yellowstone. Photo: Ruel Pableo for The National

The cowboys taking off at speed down the motorway. Photo: OSN

Cowboys riding down Sheikh Zayed Road with Downtown Dubai buildings in the background. Photo: Ruel Pableo for The National

More than a lane per cowboy on the Sheikh Zayed Road. Photo: OSN

Cowboys sauntering down Sheikh Zayed Road is no regular occurrence. Photo: Ruel Pableo for The National

The riders on horseback were a stark contrast to the SUVs and supercars the people of Dubai are used to seeing speed on the seven-lane road. Photo: Ruel Pableo for The National

The group, or saunter, of cowboys set off on their ride down the Sheikh Zayed Road at 4am on Sunday morning. Photo: OSN

The fifth season is being shown now, and available weekly on OSN+ and OSN Showcase. Photo: Ruel Pableo for The National

A cowboy flies a Yellowstone flag against a Salik toll gate in the background. Photo: Ruel Pableo for The National

The riders set off from near the Paramount Hotel Midtown. Photo: Ruel Pableo for The National

An empty highway, save for five horses and their riders. Photo: OSN

It's not every day that you'll catch a saunter of cowboys making their way down Sheikh Zayed Road, but in the early hours of Sunday morning, that is exactly what happened.

Hours before the Dubai Run took over the arterial road, cowboys were spotted galloping down the motorway, with the high-rise buildings of DIFC and Downtown Dubai in the background.

Scroll through the gallery above to see the cowboys riding down Sheikh Zayed Road

A stark contrast from the SUVs and supercars the people of Dubai are used to seeing speed down the seven-lane road, actors dressed as cowboys on horseback rode down the road to promote the neo-Western television drama Yellowstone.

A group of five actors saddled up to ride down the motorway, with the Paramount Hotel Midtown and Taj Dubai in the background. Familiar Dubai road signs can be seen in the images, along with Salik toll gates and billboards in the background.

The fifth season of the show, which stars Kevin Costner as John Dutton III, is now releasing weekly episodes. In the UAE, it is available to stream on OSN+ and on OSN Showcase with new episodes every Monday at 3.30pm GST.

“We at OSN+ are on a constant mission to engage with our audiences in creative ways, driving awareness of key series and movies through first-class campaigns, such as this first-ever stunt that saw cowboys and horses racing down Sheikh Zayed Road,” Ashley Rite, vice president of marketing and growth at OSN+, tells The National.

Described as a Western version of The Sopranos, Paramount's Yellowstone chronicles the Dutton family, who control the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the US.

Amid shifting alliances and unsolved murders, the ranch is in constant conflict with those it borders — including an expanding town, an Indian reservation, land developers and business rivalries.

Along with Costner, the cast features Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Brecken Merrill, Jefferson White, Forrie Smith, Denim Richards, Ian Bohen, Finn Little, Ryan Bingham and Gil Birmingham.