Wadi Ham is a

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 on ...

, a seasonal watercourse, in the Hajar Mountains of

Fujairah Fujairah City ( ar, الفجيرة) is the capital of the emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. It is the seventh-largest city in UAE, located on the Gulf of Oman (part of the Indian Ocean). It is the only Emirati capital city on the ...

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 ...

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

Bithnah Fort, Bithnah, Furjairah, United Arab Emirates

The wadi runs from

Masafi Masafi ( ar, مسافي) is a village located on the edge of the Hajar Mountains in the United Arab Emirates. It sits at the inland entrance of the Wadi Ham, which runs down to Fujairah City. The border between the emirates of Fujairah and Ras ...

towards Fujairah City, until it reaches the Wadi Ham Dam and the

Gulf of Oman The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ar, خليج عمان ''khalīj ʿumān''; fa, دریای عمان ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ar, خلیج مکران ''khalīj makrān''; fa, دریای مکرا� ...

. The wadi is crossed by the Sharjah to Khor Fakkan road north of the village of Daftah, which is in Ras Al Khaimah and traditionally Mazari. The Fujairah village of

Al Bithnah , nickname = , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = , image_seal = , image_map ...

and its strategically important fort,

Al Bithnah Fort Bithnah Fort is a traditional double story rock, coral and mudbrick fortification located in the Wadi Ham, near the village of Bithnah in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. The fort has played a significant role in the history of the Emirates, pa ...

, is on the route. The E 89 Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Road runs along the length of the wadi between Masafi and Fujairah City. A proposed

Etihad Rail Etihad Rail ( ar, الاتحاد للقطارات) is the United Arab Emirates national railway network. It was established in June 2009 under Federal Law No. 2 to manage the development, construction and operation of the United Arab Emirates ...

line is also planned to run along this route. At Masafi, the Wadi Ham joins the Wadi Abadilah, which runs down to the town of Dibba Al Hisn on the East Coast of the UAE, making Masafi the central point on a crescent-shaped, contiguous waterway that transects 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 Arabia ...

. Like many wadis in the Emirates, Wadi Ham has experienced

salt water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish water, ...

intrusions in the lower, coastal, part of the wadi, which has affected coastal agricultural systems.

References

Rivers of the United Arab Emirates Geography of the Emirate of Fujairah {{UnitedArabEmirates-geo-stub

See also

References