Hatta ( ar, حتا) is an inland

exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

of the

emirate of Dubai The Emirate of Dubai ( ar, إمارة دبيّ; pr. ) is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. It is the most populous emirate of the United Arab Emirates, UAE. The capital of the emirate is the eponymous city, Dubai. Geograp ...

in the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

. Formerly an Omani territory, its ownership was transferred to Dubai in or around 1850.

Geography

It lies to the south-east of Dubai's main territory and is about east of

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

. It is located relatively high in the

Hajar Mountains The Hajar Mountains ( ar, جِبَال ٱلْحَجَر, Jibāl al-Ḥajar, ''The Rocky Mountains'' or ''The Stone Mountains'') in northeastern Oman and also the eastern United Arab Emirates are the highest mountain range in the eastern Arabian ...

. It

borders A border is a geographical boundary. Border, borders, The Border or The Borders may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Border'' (1997 film), an Indian Hindi-language war film * ''Border'' (2018 Swedish film), ...

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...

to the east and the south, the

Ajman Ajman ( ar, عجمان, '; Gulf Arabic: عيمان ʿymān) is the capital of the emirate of Ajman in the United Arab Emirates. It is the fifth-largest city in UAE after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain. Located along the Persian Gulf, it is ...

exclave of

Masfout Masfout is a village that forms part of the eponymous exclave of Masfout in Ajman, one of the seven emirates forming the United Arab Emirates. It is surrounded by Ras Al Khaimah, the Dubai exclave of Hatta and Oman (Mahdha Wilayat of Al Buraimi G ...

to the west, and

Ras al-Khaimah Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) ( ar, رَأْس ٱلْخَيْمَة, historically Julfar) is the largest city and capital of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. It is the sixth-largest city in UAE after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain ...

to the north.

History

Previously known as Hajarain, Hatta became a dependency of Dubai during the reign of

Hasher Bin Maktoum Hasher bin Maktoum bin Butti Al Maktoum () acceded to become the Ruler of Dubai in 1859, following the unexpected death by natural causes of his uncle, Sheikh Saeed bin Butti. Rule Still young at the time of his accession, Hasher ruled over a per ...

after the

i Sultan

Turki bin Said Turki or Torki bin Said al Busaidi, GCSI The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander (:Knights Grand Commander ...

transferred the territory, finding himself unable to defend it against the Na'im of

Buraimi Al Buraimi Governorate ( ar, مُحَافَظَة ٱلْبُرَيْمِي, Muḥāfaẓat Al-Buraimī) is one of the 11 governorates of Oman which was split from the Ad Dhahirah Region. Until October 2006, the area was part of Ad Dhahirah Regi ...

, who had settled neighbouring

(today a part of the

emirate of Ajman The Emirate of Ajman ( ar, إمارة عجمان; ) (Gulf Arabic: إمارة عيمان emāratʿymān) is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. It joined the United Arab Emirates federation on December 2, 1971. It has an are ...

). The village was still called Hajarain as recently as 1906. The old village of Hatta includes two prominent military towers from the 1880s, a fort from 1896 and the Juma mosque, which was built in 1780 and is the oldest building in Hatta. Some ancestral burial chambers from the Hafit period (3200-2500BC) can be found in the east part of the village. Some of them have been completely rebuilt. The traditional water supply was through the ''

falaj A qanat or kārīz is a system for transporting water from an aquifer or water well to the surface, through an underground aqueduct; the system originated approximately 3,000 BC in what is now Iran. The function is essentially the same across ...

'' system, which also has been restored. Since it is located in the mountains, traditionally it was the summer habitation of Dubai-based families escaping the heat and humidity of the coast and trying new outdoor activities. Since the early 1980s, Hatta has been a popular vacation destination for western expatriates and local families alike for '

wadi Wadi ( ar, وَادِي, wādī), alternatively ''wād'' ( ar, وَاد), North African Arabic Oued, is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a wet (ephemeral) riverbed that contains water onl ...

bashing' through the tracks between Hatta,

Mahdah Mahdah ( ar, مَحْضَة, Maḥḍah, or '' Wilāyat Maḥḍah'' (), is an Omani territory north of the town of al Buraimi which borders the emirates of Sharjah, Ajman and Dubai. It was previously necessary to pass through Mahdah when travel ...

and

Al Ain Al Ain ( ar, ٱلْعَيْن, , ) is a city in the western side of Tawam (region), Tuwwam region and the seat of the administrative division of its namesake, Al-Ain Region, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. ...

Economy

Hatta's main economic factor is tourism and water. Historically the area was able to grow

date palm ''Phoenix dactylifera'', commonly known as date or date palm, is a flowering plant species in the palm family, Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit called dates. The species is widely cultivated across northern Africa, the Middle Eas ...

s; the fruits were used as a food source, while the tree was used for building material. It has a popular heritage village, including a collection of reconstructed traditional mountain dwellings and is popular for weekend getaways with both people camping in the winter months or staying at the

Hatta Fort Hotel The JA Hatta Fort Hotel is a small four-star resort hotel in the United Arab Emirates, located in the Dubai exclave of Hatta in the Hajar Mountains. The hotel consists of chalet-style rooms lined by pathways to the main building, which houses a ...

, which is located only away from Hatta Dam. Hatta Dam was built in 1990s to supply the area with electricity and water. Hatta Kayak is a popular tourist destination and a favourite spot for

kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...

ing in UAE.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) () is a public service infrastructure company that was founded on 1 January 1992 by Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. History DEWA was formed by merger of the Dubai Electricity Company and ...

(DEWA) is constructing a 250 MW pumped-storage hydroelectricity (with an energy storage capacity of 1,500MWh or 6 hours) at Hatta using 880 million gallons of water above a lower dam.

Development

In November 8, 2016, Mohammed Bin Rashid announced a 1.3AED billion plan to turn the mountain city of Hatta into a world-class tourist destination, with over 40 projects in economic, social and cultural sectors. The plan included 400 homes for Emiratis in Hatta, green areas for winter sports and a mountain track circuit. The plan aims to encourage the youth to start their own business businesses under the supervision of the Mohammed bin Rashid Foundation.

Sports

It is home to football side

Hatta Club Hatta Club is a sports club based in Hatta in the Emirate of Dubai, UAE, founded in 1981. It is most widely known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the UAE Pro League. Current squad ''As of UAE First Division Leagu ...

. Since 2009, the

Dubai Sports Council Dubai Sports Council is the official sports governing body of the Government of Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, wikt:دبي, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates#Major cities, most populous city in the United A ...

has been focusing on reviving Hatta with sports and outdoor activities, such as hiking, yoga, rowing, paddling, and kayaking, to associate the area with such activities.

Climate

Due to Hatta's higher altitude, its climate is much cooler than central Dubai. Hatta has an arid landscape and temperature, reaching 55 degrees Celsius in the summer; however, it is less humid than Dubai and far colder in the winter.

Gallery

File:Hatta, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.jpg, The sign in the rocks at Hatta File:Hatta Fort Hotel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.jpg, Hatta Fort Hotel File:Hatta Pools.jpg, Hatta pools File:HATTA.JPG, Spring water in Hatta File:Hatta Dam, Dubai, UAE.jpg, Hatta Dam File:Hatta Dam Kayaking.jpg, Hatta Dam Kayaking File:Hatta Heritage Village.jpg, Hatta Heritage Village File:Hatta Fort UAE 1401200712943.jpg, Hatta Fort File:Hattah Grave 03.jpg, Hatta Grave

References

External links

* * {{UAE cities Populated places in Dubai Enclaves and exclaves Cities in the United Arab Emirates