Al Ain ( ar, ٱلْعَيْن, , literally, the spring of water)
is a
border city
A border town is a town or city close to the boundary between two countries, states, or regions. Usually the term implies that the nearness to the border is one of the things the place is most famous for. With close proximities to a different cou ...
on the eastern side of
Tawam oasis and the seat of the administrative division, the
Al Ain Region
The Eastern Region ( ar, ٱلْمِنْطَقَة ٱلشَّرْقِيَّة, Al-Minṭaqah ash-Sharqiyyah, officially known as Al Ain Region ( ar, مِنْطَقَة ٱلْعَيْن, Minṭaqat al-ʿAyn) is one of three Municipal Regions in t ...
, in the
Emirate of Abu Dhabi
The Emirate of Abu Dhabi (, , or ; ar, إِمَارَةْ أَبُوظَبِي , ) is one of seven emirates that constitute the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is by far the largest emirate, accounting for 87% of the nation's total land area o ...
,
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 ...
. It is
bordered to the east by the Omani town of
Al-Buraimi
Al-Buraimi ( ar, ٱلْبُرَيْمِي, Al-Buraymī) is an oasis city and a wilayah (province) in northern Oman, on the border between Oman and the United Arab Emirates. It is the capital of the Al Buraimi Governorate. An adjacent city on the U ...
in the
Al Buraimi Governorate
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 Regio ...
. It is the largest inland city in the Emirates, the
fourth-largest city (after
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 ...
,
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
, and
Sharjah
Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area.
Sharjah is the capital o ...
), and the second-largest
in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The
freeways
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...
connecting Al-Ain, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai form a geographic triangle in the country, each city being roughly from the other two.
Al-Ain is known as the "Garden City" ( ar, مَدِيْنَة ٱلْحَدِيْقَة, Madīnat Al-Ḥadīqah, lit=City of The Garden)
of
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
,
the UAE
or the
Gulf
A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodie ...
,
due to its greenery, particularly with regard to the city's oases,
parks, tree-lined avenues and decorative roundabouts, with there being strict height controls on new buildings, to no more than seven floors,
and according to one author, an oasis around Al-Ain and
Al-Hasa Al-Ahsa or Al-Hasa may refer to:
* Al-Ahsa Governorate, a governorate in Saudi Arabia
* Al-Ahsa Oasis, an oasis region in eastern Saudi Arabia
* Hofuf, also known as Al-Ahsa, an urban center in the Al-Ahsa Oasis
* Al-Ahsa International Airport, Hof ...
in
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
are the most important in the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
.
That said, the region of Al-Ain and Al-Buraimi, altogether
Tawam or Al-Buraimi
Oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.”
The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
,
is of cultural and historical importance.
For example, the area witnessed events relevant to the
history of Islam
The history of Islam concerns the political, social, economic, military, and cultural developments of the Islamic civilization. Most historians believe that Islam originated in Mecca and Medina at the start of the 7th century CE. Muslims r ...
during the
Rashidun
, image = تخطيط كلمة الخلفاء الراشدون.png
, caption = Calligraphic representation of Rashidun Caliphs
, birth_place = Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia present-day Saudi Arabia
, known_for = Companions of t ...
,
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...
and
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...
eras, similar to
Dibba
Dibbā ( ar, دِبَّا) is a coastal area at the northern tip of the eastern Arabian peninsula on the Gulf of Oman.
Political administration
Dibba is politically divided into three segments:
* Dibba Al-Fujairah, ruled by the Emirate of Fuj ...
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 ...
.
It was where
Sheikh
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( ar, زَايِد بِن سُلْطَان آل نَهْيَان, Zāyed bin Sulṭān Āl Nahyān; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was an Emirati politician, statesman, and philanthropist who served as ...
, the founder of the United Arab Emirates, spent much of his life (at least since 1927, before becoming the Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1966). Though it is often held that he was born in Abu Dhabi,
some hold the view that he was born in Al-Ain.
Al-Ain may also be the site of the
oldest mosque in the country, in the premises of the
Sheikh Khalifa Mosque.
Climate and geography
Al Ain is located approximately east of the capital Abu Dhabi, and about south of Dubai.
/ref> The eastern region covers an area of approximately . Oman lies to the east, Dubai and Emirate of Sharjah, Sharjah to the north, Abu Dhabi to the west and the Empty Quarter desert and Saudi Arabia to the south. The topography of Al-Ain is unique and varies as one travels to the east. The ecologically important ''Jebel Hafeet
Jabal Hafeet ( ar, جَبَل حَفِيْت, Jabal Ḥafīt, "Mount Hafeet"; variously transcribed Jabal, Jabel or Jebal and Hafit or Hafeet – literally "empty mountain") is a mountain in the region of Tawam, on the border of the United Arab ...
'' ("Mount Hafeet"), an outlier
In statistics, an outlier is a data point that differs significantly from other observations. An outlier may be due to a variability in the measurement, an indication of novel data, or it may be the result of experimental error; the latter are ...
of the main Hajar range, is considered one of the monuments of Al-Ain, lying just to the south of the city. Rising to in elevation, Jabal Hafeet is one of the highest mountains in the country, and has a number of ridge
A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...
s which stretch to the inner part of the city, two of which are ''Jabal An-Naqfah
Jabal Hafeet ( ar, جَبَل حَفِيْت, Jabal Ḥafīt, "Mount Hafeet"; variously transcribed Jabal, Jabel or Jebal and Hafit or Hafeet – literally "empty mountain") is a mountain in the Tawam (region), region of Tawam, on the border of t ...
'' (which touches Al-Ain Oasis), and the Western ridge. Sand dunes of varying texture that are tinged red with iron oxide lie to the north and east of Al-Ain.
The city has a hot desert climate
The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
(Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''BWh''), featuring long, extremely hot summers and warm winters. In Al-Ain, the mean annual rainfall is and the average relative humidity is 60% (United Arab Emirates University, 1993). Low humidity in Al-Ain, particularly during the summers, makes it a popular destination for many people at that time of year. Boer (1997) classified the UAE climate as hyper-arid and divided it into four climatic regions: the coastal zone along the Persian Gulf
A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodie ...
, the mountain areas northeast of UAE, the gravel plains around Al Ain, and the central and southern sand desert. More rainfall and lower temperatures occur in the northeast than in the southern and western regions. The monthly average rainfall around Al-Ain was from the period 1970 to 1992.
To the south of the city, near 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 ...
, there is the man-made Lake Zakher
Lake Zakher ( ar, بُحَيْرَة زَاخِر, Buḥayrat Zākhir) is a man-made lake in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. It was created from treated waste water that was released onto land, which pushed up groundwater levels and eventually res ...
, which resulted from the release of waste water from desalination plants
Desalination is a process that takes away mineral components from saline water. More generally, desalination refers to the removal of salts and minerals from a target substance, as in soil desalination, which is an issue for agriculture. Saltwa ...
. Also in this region, to the east of Jebel Hafeet, lies the area of Mezyad, which has a border crossing with Oman, and is where the historic Mezyad Fort
Mezyad ( ar, مَزْيَد, Mazyad) is a settlement in Al-Ain Region, Abu Dhabi, Al-Ain Region in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, located to the south of the main part of Al Ain City, on the Oman–United Arab Emirates borde ...
is located.
Demographics
With a population of 766,936 (as of 2017), it has the highest proportion of Emirati nationals (30.8%) in the country, though the majority of its residents are expatriate
An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...
s, particularly from the Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
. Many people are from Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
and Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, and a few Afghan
Afghan may refer to:
*Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia
*Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity
** Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...
s which is in total 23,000 Afghan approximately in whole U.A.E and majority are from province of Khost
Khōst ( ps, خوست) is the capital of Khost Province in Afghanistan. It is the largest city in the southeastern part of the country, and also the largest in the region of Loya Paktia. To the south and east of Khost lie Waziristan and Kurram in ...
.
Economy
Al Ain is an important services centre for a wide area extending into Oman. There are three major shopping centres, Al Ain Mall
Al Ain Mall is a shopping and entertainment center in Al Ain, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The Mall was established as Al Ain's first shopping mall in 2001 with around a hundred retail outlets. In 2011, the Mall was expanded to add ...
, Al Jimi Mall, Al Hili Mall and Al Bawadi Mall (opened in 2009 in Al Khrair area) as well as traditional souqs for fruit and vegetables and livestock. One such souq exists for camels near an IKEA
IKEA (; ) is a Dutch multinational conglomerate based in the Netherlands that designs and sells , kitchen appliances, decoration, home accessories, and various other goods and home services. Started in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA has been t ...
store and Bawadi Mall on Zayed Bin Sultan Street, the road which leads to Mezyad. Industry is growing, but is still on a small scale, and includes the Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
bottling plant and the Al Ain Portland Cement Works. The water in Al-Ain is of good quality. Service industries such as car sales, mechanics and other artisans are located in the area known as Sanaiya and Pattan Market. Social and governmental infrastructure include the Higher Colleges of Technology
The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT; ar, ) was established in 1988 and is the largest applied, higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). During the 2019–2020 academic year, there were 14,246 female and 6,744 male stu ...
, well-equipped medical facilities including the teaching hospital at Tawam, Al Ain International Airport
Al Ain International Airport ; ar, مَطَار ٱلْعَيْن ٱلدَُوَلِِي; transliterated: Maṭār Al-ʿAyn Ad-Duwalī) is an airport located west or northwest (login required) of Al Ain in the Eastern Region of the Emirate of A ...
, and military training areas. Al Ain also has world's largest dates
Date or dates may refer to:
*Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'')
Social activity
*Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner
**Group dating
*Play date, an ...
processing and marketing company, Al Foah Company LLC. The place is also famous for Al Ain Dairy Farm
AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media
* Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera
* Al (''Fullmetal ...
located just outside Al Ain.
History and prehistory
Part of the historically important Western Hajar region, the area of Al-Ain or Tawam has been inhabited for nearly 8,000 years, with archaeological sites showing human settlement at places like Al-Rumailah, Hili and Jabel Ḥafeet. These early cultures built "beehive" tombs for their dead and engaged in hunting and gathering in the area. The oases provided water for early farms until the modern age. In the 1950s, Sheikh Zayed discovered the tombs, and brought this to the attention of a Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
team, leading to an excavation at the tombs in 1959. In 1971, Al Ain Museum was built to house items from this area. In the 2000s, the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage
The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage (known colloquially as the ADACH) was a statutory body in the United Arab Emirates that administered cultural heritage in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
by UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
, and in 2011, Al-Ain became the first World Heritage Site in the UAE to be recognized by UNESCO.
Bronze Age burial sites often re-used materials from earlier burials. For instance, the Wadi Suq communal tomb at Qattara Oasis
Qattara Oasis ( ar, وَاحَـة الْـقَـطَّـارَة, Wāḥat al-Qaṭṭārah) is an area of irrigated date farm in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates featuring a distinctive ''falaj'' ( ar, فَـلَـج) irrigation system as well as a ...
is thought to have been constructed from stones recovered from previous Umm Al Nar burials.
Finds at Qattara include Wadi Suq era chlorite
The chlorite ion, or chlorine dioxide anion, is the halite with the chemical formula of . A chlorite (compound) is a compound that contains this group, with chlorine in the oxidation state of +3. Chlorites are also known as salts of chlorous ac ...
jugs and bowls and late Bronze Age short swords and daggers. Artefacts recovered also include carnelian
Carnelian (also spelled cornelian) is a brownish-red mineral commonly used as a semi-precious gemstone. Similar to carnelian is sard, which is generally harder and darker (the difference is not rigidly defined, and the two names are often use ...
jewellery, often associated by UAE historians with trading links to the Indus Valley
The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...
. A find of particular interest from Qattara is a Bronze Age pendant discovered in the 1970s depicting a double-bodied or entwined pair of horned animals. Made from electrum
Electrum is a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver, with trace amounts of copper and other metals. Its color ranges from pale to bright yellow, depending on the proportions of gold and silver. It has been produced artificially, and ...
, an alloy of silver and gold, the motif is found repeated in a number of Bronze Age sites in the UAE. Iron Age finds in and around Al Ain include ''aflāj'' (underground water channels) in Bidaa bint Saud, Al-Ain and Al-Buraimi which have been placed several centuries prior to the qanats of the Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest em ...
, which had previously been credited with the innovation.
Al Ain was originally within the area of influence of the Dhawahir
The Dhawahir ( ar, ظَوَاهِر, Ẓawāhir; singular ''Adh-Dhaheri'' ( ar, ٱلظَّاهِرِي, Aẓ-Ẓāhirī)) is a tribe of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The tribe's main centre is (Ain Al Dhawahir) Alain, and the village, then tow ...
, a Bedouin tribe who settled Dhahirah before 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 Regio ...
. A later wave of settlers, the Na'im
The Na'im () (singular Al Nuaimi ) is an Arab tribe in the United Arab Emirates. The tribe is also present in other gulf countries.
The Na'im is divided into three sections, the Al Bu Kharaiban, the Khawatir and the Al Bu Shamis (singular Al Sham ...
, have long had an uneasy relationship with the Dhawahir and the two tribes were frequently in dispute. Numbering 4,500, the Dhawahir consists of three subsections: the Daramikah The Daramikah ( ar, درامكة, singular Darmaki) are an Arabian tribe, a branch of the widespread Dhawahir of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. They have given their name to a small watchtower located in the Qattara Oasis in Al Ain, one ...
, who populated Hili, Mutared and Qattara; the Jawabir in Al Ain and the Bani Saad who lived in Jimi. Staying in the villages for the summer date season, in winter the community would move throughout the Trucial States
The Trucial States ( '), also known as the Trucial Coast ( '), the Trucial Sheikhdoms ( '), Trucial Arabia or Trucial Oman, was the name the British government gave to a group of tribal confederations in southeastern Arabia whose leaders had s ...
.
The area of Tawam had come under the rule of the Wajihid Dynasty in the 9th century CE.
A number of interests jostled for influence over the tribes of Buraimi, including the Sultan of Muscat
The sultan of the Sultanate of Oman is the monarchical head of state and head of government of Oman. It is the most powerful position in the country. The sultans of Oman are members of the Busaid dynasty, which has been the ruling family of O ...
, the Wahhabis
Wahhabism ( ar, ٱلْوَهَّابِيَةُ, translit=al-Wahhābiyyah) is a Sunni Islamic Islamic revival, revivalist and Islamic fundamentalism, fundamentalist movement associated with the reformist doctrines of the 18th-century Arabians, ...
(who had made a number of incursions) and the Sheikhs of the Trucial States, particularly the Bani Yas
Bani Yas ( ar, بَنُو ياس) is a tribal confederation of Najdi origin in the United Arab Emirates. The tribal coalition which consists of tribes from Dubai to Khawr al Udayd southeast of Qatar, was called the Bani Yas Coalition. The tribe has ...
of Abu Dhabi, who acquired large tracts of land, principally from the Dhawahir. This suzerainty
Suzerainty () is the rights and obligations of a person, state or other polity who controls the foreign policy and relations of a tributary state, while allowing the tributary state to have internal autonomy. While the subordinate party is cal ...
over Al Ain was cemented by Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan ( ar, زايد بن خليفة آل نهيان; 1835 – 18 May 1909), also known as Zayed the Great or Zayed the First was the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi from 1855 to his death in 1909. He was the grandfather and nam ...
, known as 'Zayed the Great', a strong and charismatic leader who took the Dhawahir's main settlement 'Ain Dhawahir (the original name of Al Ain) when the tribe rebelled against him in 1877. He built a fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
, one of a number of fortifications established by the various interests vying for control over the oasis, to underline his dominion over the oasis and established a ''wali'', appointing a member of the Dhawahir as his headman.
Wilfred Thesiger
Sir Wilfred Patrick Thesiger (3 June 1910 – 24 August 2003), also known as Mubarak bin Landan ( ar, مُبَارَك بِن لَنْدَن, ''the blessed one of London'') was a British military officer, explorer, and writer.
Thesiger's trav ...
visited Al-Ain in the late 1940s, during his travels across the Empty Quarter
The Rub' al KhaliOther standardized transliterations include: / . The ' is the assimilated Arabic definite article, ', which can also be transliterated as '. (; ar, ٱلرُّبْع ٱلْخَالِي (), the "Empty Quarter") is the sand des ...
. He met Sheikh Zayed and stayed with him at Al-Muwaiji Fort. An ongoing dispute
Dispute may refer to:
* an act of physical violence; combat
* Controversy
** Lawsuit
** Dispute resolution
* Dispute (credit card)
* ''La Dispute'', a 1744 prose comedy by Pierre de Marivaux
* La Dispute (band)
La Dispute is an American pos ...
between Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, Abu Dhabi and Oman led to the Buraimi Dispute
The Buraimi dispute or Buraimi war () was a series of covert attempts by Saudi Arabia to influence the loyalties of tribes and communities in and around the oil-rich Buraimi oasis in the 1940s and 1950s, which culminated in an armed conflict bet ...
, a series of incidents which saw a Saudi armed force enter the oasis. Forces from the Trucial Oman Scouts
The Trucial Oman Scouts was a paramilitary force that the British raised in 1951 as the Trucial Oman Levies, to serve in the Trucial States. In 1956, the Levies were renamed the Trucial Oman Scouts. In 1971, upon the formation of the United Arab ...
, as well as the army of Muscat-Oman, arrived to recapture the oasis. With British intervention, the Saudi forces surrendered, leaving the oasis back in the hands of Abu Dhabi and Oman.
In 1971, Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during h ...
visited the Hilton Hotel in the area, during her tour of the Persian Gulf. Following independence in 1971, Al Ain experienced rapid growth and investment as part of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, quickly becoming larger and more successful than Oman's Al-Buraimi. In 1972, Oman and Abu Dhabi agreed on the final borders to divide Buraimi and Al Ain. Until Sheikh Zayed's death in 2004, Al Ain's municipal code forbade construction of buildings over four stories, with the exceptions of the Hilton, Danat Al Ain Resort, and Rotana hotels. Until 2006, Buraimi and Al Ain shared an open border. This border was closed in November 2006, and passport controls were imposed.
File:Al Hili Tower By. Eng. Fadi Fayyadh Al Toubeh - panoramio.jpg, Al-Hili Tower
File:Entrance Up Close.jpg, Al Jahili Fort
Al-Jahili Fort () is a fort in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. The fort was established in 1891 around Al-Jahili Oasis for the protection of palm farmers. Later it was seized by the former Omani coastal scout for its operation to ...
, among the largest castles in the region
File:Mezyad Fort.jpg, Jebel Hafeet
Jabal Hafeet ( ar, جَبَل حَفِيْت, Jabal Ḥafīt, "Mount Hafeet"; variously transcribed Jabal, Jabel or Jebal and Hafit or Hafeet – literally "empty mountain") is a mountain in the region of Tawam, on the border of the United Arab ...
, as viewed from Mezyad Fort
Mezyad ( ar, مَزْيَد, Mazyad) is a settlement in Al-Ain Region, Abu Dhabi, Al-Ain Region in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, located to the south of the main part of Al Ain City, on the Oman–United Arab Emirates borde ...
near the southern border with Al Buraimi Governorate
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 Regio ...
in 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 ...
Beehive Tombs Jebel Hafeet District 1.jpg, Beehive Tombs in the district of Jebel Hafeet are evidence of human habitation in the area approximately 5,000 years ago
File:Al murabba fort.jpg, Al-Murabba Fort in the city's central district
File:Al Muwaiji Fort - 01.jpg, ''Qasr Al Muwaiji
Qasr Al Muwaiji ( ar, قَصْر ٱلْمُوَيْجِعِي, Qaṣr Al-Muwayjiʿī), or "Muwaiji Fort", is a fort in the central part of Al Ain in the Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. It is noted as the bir ...
'', the birthplace of Sheikh
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( ar, خليفة بن زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان; 7 September 1948 – 13 May 2022) was the second president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, serving f ...
, the former Ruler of Abu Dhabi
This article lists the rulers of separate states on the territory of the United Arab Emirates, most of which became its Emirates.
List of rulers of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
Al Nahyan of Al Abu Falah dynasty
List of rulers of the Emirate of ...
and President of the UAE
The president of the United Arab Emirates, or the Raʾīs ( ar, رَئِيْس), is the head of state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The president and vice-president are elected every five years by the Federal Supreme Council. Though the ...
, and former home of his father, Sheikh Zayed
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( ar, زَايِد بِن سُلْطَان آل نَهْيَان, Zāyed bin Sulṭān Āl Nahyān; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was an Emirati politician, statesman, and philanthropist who served as ...
Oases and ''Aflaj''
The city's '' wāḥāt'' ( ar, وَاحَات, lit=oases) are known for their underground irrigation system (''falaj'' or ''qanāt
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 ...
'') that brings water from boreholes to water farms and palm trees. Falaj irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...
is an ancient system dating back thousands of years, and is used widely in Oman, the UAE, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and other countries. There are seven oases here. The largest is Al Ain Oasis
Al-Ain Oasis ( ar, وَاحَة ٱلْعَيْن, Wāḥat Al-ʿAyn, "Oasis of the Spring") is the largest oasis in the city of Al Ain, within the Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.
Geography
It is located i ...
, near Old Sarooj, and the smallest is Al-Jahili Oasis. The rest are Al Qattara, Al-Muʿtaredh, Al-Jimi, Al-Muwaiji, and Hili.
Examples of ''aflaj'' include ''Falaj Hazza'', which is named after Sheikh Zayed's elder brother, Hazza bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Sheikh Hazza bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( ar, ٱلشَّيْخ هَزَّاع بِن سُلْطَان آل نَهْيَان, Ash-Shaykh Hazzāʿ bin Sulṭān Āl Nahyān) was the brother of Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi from ...
, and has a district named after it.
Infrastructure
The city is known for its combination of modern and pre-modern buildings. The latter offer an insight into the city's and country's cultural heritage. The city used to have roundabouts in every intersection but recently it has been replaced by traffic signals.
Education
Al-Ain is home to the main federal university in the UAE, the United Arab Emirates University
United Arab Emirates University (UAEU; ar, جامعة الإمارات العربية المتحدة) is a public research university located in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. It is the oldest university in the United Arab Emirates. It was esta ...
, and to two campuses of the Higher Colleges of Technology
The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT; ar, ) was established in 1988 and is the largest applied, higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). During the 2019–2020 academic year, there were 14,246 female and 6,744 male stu ...
– Al Ain Men's College and Al Ain Women's College
Women's colleges in higher education are undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women. Some women's colleges admit male stud ...
. Al-Ain is also the home of Horizon International flight academy, Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways ( ar, شَرِكَة ٱلْاِتِّحَاد لِلطَّيْرَان, sharikat al-ittiḥād li-ṭ-ṭayarān) is one of two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates (the other being Emirates). Its head office is in Khalifa ...
's cadet pilot training centre. Private higher education institutions include the Al Ain University and campus of Abu Dhabi University. Al-Ain also houses the eastern zone headquarters of the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) ( ar, دائرة التعليم والمعرفة), previously Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) ( ar, مجلس أبو ظبي التعليم) is the educational authority for the Emirate ...
, Abu Dhabi's education authority.
Many of Al-Ain's private schools, catering mainly to the expatriate population, are located in the Al-Manaseer area. They include Al-Ain International school (British curriculum, private school, part of the Aldar group), Al Ain English Speaking School, Al Dhafra Private School, Manor Hall School, Al-Sanawbar School, Liwa International School, Al-Madar International School, Global English School, Emirates Private School, a branch of the International School of Choueifat
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
, and an Institute of Applied Technology campus. Other private schools include the CBSE affiliated schoo
Indian School, Al-Ain
Our Own English High School
Established in 1968, the GEMS Our Own English High School (OOEHS) – Dubai, is one of the oldest schools in the UAE.
It was the first school established by K. S. Varkey and his wife, Mariama Varkey. The school is now managed by GEMS Education f ...
, Al Adhwa Private School, Brighton College Al Ain an
Al Ain Juniors School
A new British International School, Belvedere International School
Belvedere International School is a British international day school in the United Arab Emirates.
Belvedere School in the UK was founded in 1880 as Liverpool High School, by the then Girls’ Public Day School Company (which became the Girls’ D ...
is located in the Al Hili district. In 1977, the Zayed Central Library was established. Al-Khwarizmi International College has started a Campus at Al-Ain and is offering BBA programme and various other licensed, accredited and approved courses.
Health
The first hospital in Al-Ain was Kanad Hospital (formerly known as Oasis Hospital), established in 1960 by the American missionary couple Drs. Pat and Marian Kennedy at the invitation of Sheikh Zayed. It is the oldest hospital in Al Ain and the second oldest in the United Arab Emirates.
Al-Ain is also the home of Tawam Hospital, a training and research hospital linked with the UAE University
United Arab Emirates University (UAEU; ar, جامعة الإمارات العربية المتحدة) is a public research university located in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. It is the oldest university in the United Arab Emirates. It was esta ...
. It was officially inaugurated on 17 December 1979. In March 2006, Johns Hopkins Hospital
The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. It was founded in 1889 using money from a bequest of over $7 million (1873 mo ...
(Johns Hopkins Medicine International
Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHMI), not to be confused with Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, also (JHMI), is a partnership program established by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine to raise the standard of health care through long-term, ...
) (JHMI) took over the management of Tawam hospital.
Tawam Hospital
is one of the largest hospitals in the UAE with 503 beds, featuring 24 VIP suites, 78 isolation rooms, 48 ER beds, 9 operating theaters and 81 specialty clinics. Its oncology centre is the main national cancer treatment centre as well as a regional referral centre.
Al Ain Hospital (abbr: AAH, also known as Al-Jimi Hospital) is the general hospital delivering health services to all Al-Ain patients regardless of their nationality. It is centrally located in the Al-Jimi district and is linked with the UAE University. Al-Ain Hospital still occupies old 1970s buildings, but a new building is planned. AAH currently has about 450 beds and provides services in all medical disciplines. In September 2007, the Medical University of Vienna International (MUVI) took over the management of AAH.
Places of worship
Formerly, the city's largest mosque was that
''That'' is an English language word used for several grammar, grammatical purposes. These include use as an adjective, conjunction (grammar), conjunction, pronoun, adverb, and intensifier; it has distance from the speaker, as opposed to words lik ...
of Shaikha Salamah. In 2021, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mosque
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mosque ( ar, مَسْجِد ٱلشَّيْخ خَلِيْفَة بِن زَايِد آل نَهْيَان, Masjid Ash-Shaykh Khalīfah Bin Zāyid Al Nahyān), also known as "Al Ain Grand Mosque", "Sheikh Khalifa ...
replaced it as the largest mosque in the city, and it is one of the biggest in the country.
Transportation
Al-Ain is connected via the Dubai–Al-Ain Road to Al Faqa
''Al-Faqaʿ'' ( ar, ٱلـفَـقَـع) is a village on the border of the Emirate of Dubai and the Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), located on the Dubai-Al Ain highway ( E 66 or Tahnoun Bin Mohammad A ...
' and 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 ...
in the north, which also connects to Al Madam
Al Madam ( ar, ٱلْمَدَام) is an inland town of the Emirate of Sharjah, the UAE. Located at the intersection of the Dubai-Hatta ( E44) and Mleiha- Shwaib (E55) roads, its development has mainly centred around these road links and the road ...
in the Emirate of Sharjah via Al-Shwaib. It is also connected to Abu Dhabi in the west, Al-Qu'a in the southeast, and Mezyad in the southwest. Bus and taxi services are available between these areas. The southern border area of Mezyad lies on the road
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
to Dhank, Ibri
, native_name_lang = ar
, nickname =
, settlement_type = Town
, motto =
, image_skyline = Ibri, Oman (2013).jpg
, image_caption = Fort Ibri
, image_flag =
, image_shield ...
and Nizwa
Nizwa ( ar, نِزْوَى, Nizwā) is the largest city in Ad Dakhiliyah Region in Oman and was the capital of Oman proper. Nizwa is about (1.5 hours) from Muscat. The population is estimated at around 72,000 people, including the two areas o ...
in Oman. The city's airport (Al Ain International Airport
Al Ain International Airport ; ar, مَطَار ٱلْعَيْن ٱلدَُوَلِِي; transliterated: Maṭār Al-ʿAyn Ad-Duwalī) is an airport located west or northwest (login required) of Al Ain in the Eastern Region of the Emirate of A ...
) has scheduled passenger flights to Egypt, Pakistan and India.
Tourism and recreation
Al-Ain is developing as a tourist destination. The dry desert air makes it a welcome retreat from the coastal humidity of the larger cities. Many Emirati nationals in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
have holiday houses in the city making it a popular weekend destination for families from the capital city. Its attractions include the Al Ain National Museum
Al Ain Museum ( ar, مَتْحَف ٱلْعَيْن, Matḥaf Al), also known as Al Ain Museum ( ar, مَتْحَف ٱلْعَيْن, Matḥaf al-ʿAyn), is a museum in the city of Al Ain, within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirate ...
, the Al Ain Palace Museum
Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum ( ar, مَتْحَف قَصْر ٱلشَّيْخ زَايِد, Matḥaf Ash-Shaykh Zāyid al-Waṭanī), also known as "Al Ain Palace Museum" ( ar, مَتْحَف قَصْر ٱلْعَيْن, Matḥaf Qaṣr Al-ʿAyn), ...
, several restored forts and the Hili Archaeological Park
Hili Archaeological Park ( ar, حَدِيْقَة آثَار ٱلْهِيْلِي, Ḥadīqat Āthar Al-Hīlī) is the location of a Bronze Age site in Al Ain, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.
Description and history
Hili is the ...
site, dating back to the Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
. Jebel Hafeet dominates the surrounding area. It is popular to visit to the mineral springs at Green Mubazzarah
Jabal Hafeet ( ar, جَبَل حَفِيْت, Jabal Ḥafīt, "Mount Hafeet"; variously transcribed Jabal, Jabel or Jebal and Hafit or Hafeet – literally "empty mountain") is a mountain in the region of Tawam, on the border of the United Arab ...
at the base of the mountain, and to drive to the mountaintop at sunset. Other attractions include Al Ain Zoo
)
, logo=Al Ain Zoo Logo.png
, logo_width= 150px
, logo_caption=
, image=Al_Ain_Zoo_Entry.JPG
, image_width=300px
, image_caption=Al Ain zoo entrance
, date_opened=
, date_closed=
, location=Al Ain, Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the ...
, an amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
named "Hili Fun City", many well-maintained parks popular with families in the summer evenings, and a heritage village. Opened in 2012, Wadi Adventure is located near Jebel Hafeet and provides a range of water-based activities including surfing, kayaking and rafting. On top of Jabel Hafeet is the Mercure Hotel
Mercure may refer to:
* MERCURE, an atmospheric dispersion modelling CFD code developed by Électricité de France
* Mercure Hotels, a chain of hotels run by Accor
* French ship Mercure (1783), French ship ''Mercure'' (1783)
* Dassault Mercure, a ...
. Mount Hafeet and the nearby 'beehive' tombs are part of what is known as "Jebel Hafeet Desert Park
Jabal Hafeet ( ar, جَبَل حَفِيْت, Jabal Ḥafīt, "Mount Hafeet"; variously transcribed Jabal, Jabel or Jebal and Hafit or Hafeet – literally "empty mountain") is a mountain in the region of Tawam, on the border of the United Arab ...
" or "Mezyad Desert Park", which is meant to preserve the nature and geology of the area, besides attracting tourists.
Al-Ain has five major malls – Al Ain Mall
Al Ain Mall is a shopping and entertainment center in Al Ain, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The Mall was established as Al Ain's first shopping mall in 2001 with around a hundred retail outlets. In 2011, the Mall was expanded to add ...
in the town centre, Al-Jimi Mall in Al-Jimi District, Bawadi Mall in Al-Khrair District, Remal Mall located in the Sanaiya district, and Hili Mall located in the Hili District. Most commercial activity is centred in and around town centre. Another popular pastime for Emiratis and expatriates alike is spending time in coffee shops and shisha cafes. There are many café's in Al-Ain, ranging in size and quality. The city also has an International standard go-kart
A go-kart, also written as go-cart (often referred to as simply a kart), is a type of sports car, close wheeled car, open-wheel car or quadracycle. Go-karts come in all shapes and forms, from non-motorised models to high-performance Kart rac ...
circuit. Al-Ain Raceway was selected to host the 2007 Rotax Max World Karting Finals, an event which saw 220 drivers from over 55 countries compete for the Karting world title. Al-Ain Raceway opened to the general public in May 2008 and proves a popular activity for local Emiratis and tourists alike. It was announced in late 2010 that the 2011 Rotax Max World Karting Finals will be held at Al-Ain Raceway, this will bring nearly 1000 tourists to the small garden city. Like the rest of the UAE, Al-Ain has strict laws governing the consumption and distribution of alcohol. Five facilities in the city currently serve alcohol, Four of which are hotels. Al-Ain Rotana, Hilton
Hilton or Hylton may refer to:
Companies
* Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc., a global hospitality company based in the United States that owns several hotel chains and subsidiary companies containing the Hilton name
** Hilton Hotels & Resorts, fla ...
, Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet and Danat Al-Ain Resort, hotels all have pubs, bars, or night clubs. In addition to the hotels, the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club in Al-Maqam also serves alcohol. Currently, there are only four locations that sell alcohol for private use – Spinneys
Spinneys is an Arabian multinational supermarket chain active in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt,
Qatar, Lebanon, Oman and Pakistan. It began as a railway provision merchant company, and expanded to a grocery firm importing British Empire goods ...
near Al-Jimi District, an outlet to the left of the Hilton hotel (next to the hotel's staff quarters), High Spirits Bottle Shop behind Lulu Hypermarket
LuLu Group International is an Indian Emirati-based multinational conglomerate company that operates a chain of hypermarkets and retail companies, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It was founded in 2000 by M. A. Yusuff Ali from ...
Sana‘iya and the North Africa Market in Sanaiya. The city has two English-language radio stations – 100.1 Star FM, which plays English-speaking hits alternating with Arabic-speaking hits, and 105.2 Abu Dhabi Classic FM, which plays classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
.
Sport, culture and arts
Al-Ain is a cultural retreat for residents of the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It is home to a major festival of classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
, and is the home of Al Ain Football Club, which is one of the most successful football clubs in the UAE and Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
. It has many titles and championships to its name. Al-Ain Club contains also eight other games which are: handball, volleyball, basketball, swimming, Table Tennis, Athletics, Jiu jitsu, and Taekwondo. The Al Ain Amblers are a well known rugby club with a long history fielding men's, women's and junior rugby teams in the UAE and Gulf competitions, based at the Al Ain Club.
Hili Fun City hosts two ice hockey teams, the Al Ain Vipers and Ghantoot. Each team has adult and youth teams starting from age 4. The Al-Ain Vipers Men's Team won the Emirates Hockey League in the 2009–10 season.
The Palm Resort to the west of the town hosts a popular rugby club with adult and youth teams, and the Al-Ain International Soccer Club which has three youth teams, including one for 7-9-year-old's. There is a water sports centre called "Wadi Adventure", with a wave pool and surf instructors. Additionally, the park has facilities for kayaking and rafting on an artificial river.
Gallery
File:Al Mutawaa - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates - panoramio (16).jpg, A garden in Al Ain Palace Museum
Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum ( ar, مَتْحَف قَصْر ٱلشَّيْخ زَايِد, Matḥaf Ash-Shaykh Zāyid al-Waṭanī), also known as "Al Ain Palace Museum" ( ar, مَتْحَف قَصْر ٱلْعَيْن, Matḥaf Qaṣr Al-ʿAyn), ...
File:Camels in Al Ain.jpg, Dromedaries
The dromedary (''Camelus dromedarius'' or ;), also known as the dromedary camel, Arabian camel, or one-humped camel, is a large even-toed ungulate, of the genus ''Camelus'', with one hump on its back.
It is the tallest of the three species of ...
at the city's Camel Market. The camel
A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. C ...
is important to the cultures of Arabia
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...
, the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
, and elsewhere.[ ]
File:Mercury Hotel - Al Ain Jebel Hafeet Top - By Eng. Fadi Fayyadh Al Toubeh - panoramio.jpg, Mercure Hotel, built near the top of Jebel Hafeet
See also
* Eastern Arabia
Eastern Arabia, historically known as al-Baḥrayn ( ar, البحرين) until the 18th century, is a region stretched from Basra to Khasab along the Persian Gulf coast and included parts of modern-day Bahrain, Kuwait, Eastern Saudi Arabia, Unite ...
** Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes ...
in Oman
** Madinat Zayed
, settlement_type =
, translit_lang1_type =
, translit_lang1_info =
, image_skyline = File:Madinat Zayed - United Arab Emirates 1 - panoramio.jpg
, image_caption =
, image_flag =
, image_coat ...
, administrative centre of the Western Region
** Mubazzara Dam
The Mubazzarah Dam ( ar, سدّ مُبَزَّرَة, Sudd Mubazzarah) is located at the foothills of Jebel Hafeet, Jebel Hafit in Al Ain, the Al-Ain Region, Abu Dhabi, Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, United A ...
** Swaihan
Sweihan, also spelled Swaihan or Suwayḩān ( ar, سُـوَيْـحَـان), is a town in the region of Al-Ain, northwest of the city of Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. It is noted for its surrounding farms.
T ...
* List of tourist attractions in the United Arab Emirates
This is a list of the popular tourist attractions in the United Arab Emirates, by Emirate, except for shared attractions, such as mountains shared by different emirates
Abu Dhabi
* Central Region:
** Sheikh Zayed Mosque: founded by Sheikh Zay ...
* 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 ...
References
External links
Al Ain City Municipality
Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort
Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort. Preserving desert wildlife & habitats
Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort. Expansion project
* ttps://aau.ac.ae/en/ Al Ain University of Science and Technology
{{Authority control
Oman–United Arab Emirates border crossings
Populated places in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
World Heritage Sites in the United Arab Emirates
Eastern Region, Abu Dhabi
Cities in the United Arab Emirates