The Musandam Peninsula (), locally known as Ruus Al Jibal ( Capes of the Mountains),
is a
peninsula
A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula.
Etymology
The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
that forms the northeastern point of the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world.
Geographically, the ...
.
Geography
The peninsula lies to the south of the
Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz ( ''Tangeh-ye Hormoz'' , ''Maḍīq Hurmuz'') is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategica ...
, between the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
and the
Gulf of Oman
The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ''khalīj ʿumān''; ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ''khalīj makrān''; ''daryâ-ye makrān''), is a gulf in the Indian Ocean that connects the Arabian Sea with th ...
.
It is inhabited by the
Shihuh tribe and is mainly governed by
Oman
Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...
as the
Musandam Governorate with certain parts governed by the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
, including
Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah (; ), often referred to its initials RAK, is the largest city and capital of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the U.A.E. The city had a population of 191,753 in 2025, and is the sixth-most populous city in UAE after Dubai, Abu ...
and parts of
Dibba.
Land features include the
Western Hajar Mountains
The Hajar Mountains (, ''The Rocky Mountains'' or ''The Stone Mountains'') are one of the highest mountain ranges in the Arabian Peninsula, shared between northern Oman and eastern United Arab Emirates. Also known as "Oman Mountains", they sepa ...
. Since these are the northernmost of the
Hajar range, they and the peninsula are referred to as
Ruʾūs al-Jibāl ().
The largest
wadi
Wadi ( ; ) is a river valley or a wet (ephemerality, ephemeral) Stream bed, riverbed that contains water only when heavy rain occurs. Wadis are located on gently sloping, nearly flat parts of deserts; commonly they begin on the distal portion ...
in Mussandam is
Wadi Bih, which forms the central
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
.
The highest Mountain in Mussandam, and Ru'us al Jibal, is
Jebel Harim.
Climate
During winter, the region can be fairly cool, particularly the mountains of Jais, Yanas and Mebrah.
Environment
Fauna
Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...
include the
Ruus al Jibal fan-footed gecko,
Arabian tahr and
caracal
The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized Felidae, wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long ...
. It is unknown if the
Arabian leopard is still present.
Important Bird Areas
The mountainous northern end of the peninsula has been designated an
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
(IBA) by
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...
because it supports significant populations of bird species, whether resident, breeding, wintering or on passage. These include
pallid scops-owl,
plain leaf-warbler,
hooded,
variable,
Hume's and
red-tailed wheatears, and
pale rockfinch.
The islands scattered around the tip of the peninsula are in a separate IBA because of their importance for
seabird
Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adaptation, adapted to life within the marine ecosystem, marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent ...
s, including
red-billed tropicbird,
Persian shearwater,
Socotra cormorant and
bridled tern.
History
In the past, the region was an unstable region, and was repeatedly invaded by Persian empires such as the
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian peoples, Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, i ...
and the
Sassanian Empire
The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...
. Then these empires declined until the Islamic era arrived.
Modern era
In the modern era, the occupation of the region continued. In the beginning, the
Portuguese invasion arrived, which destroyed the region after it was a global navigation center at that time. Then a new force appeared, the
Ya'rubids
The Yarubid dynasty (also Ya'ariba or Ya'arubi; ) were rulers of Omani Empire, Oman between 1624 and 1742, holding the title of Imam. They expelled the Portugal, Portuguese from coastal strongholds in Muscat Governorate, Muscat and united the cou ...
state, and expelled the Portuguese invasion of the Gulf and occupied the peninsula region. Then came
British colonialism
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts establish ...
. After the withdrawal of British colonialism, the
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...
was formed, but
Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah (; ), often referred to its initials RAK, is the largest city and capital of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the U.A.E. The city had a population of 191,753 in 2025, and is the sixth-most populous city in UAE after Dubai, Abu ...
did not join the UAE at that time. In 1972 AD, the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah joined the United Arab Emirates. Then the Emirati-Omani border has been officially settled.
Gallery
File:Jebal Harim.JPG, View of Jabal Harim from the Green Valley, March 2013
File:04CP View of Musandam.tif, View of the mountains of Musandam, December 1971
File:Jebel Qiwhi (16755252461).jpg, View of the ''Ru'us al-Jibal'' from Jebel Qihwi
File:Kumzar ca 1908.png, The mountainous area of Kumzar,
File:Sedimentary Rock Layers near Khasab in Musandam Oman.jpg, Sedimentary rock layers near Khasab
Khasab () is a town and capital of the Musandam Governorate which is an exclave of Oman bordering the United Arab Emirates at the tip of the Musandam Peninsula by the Strait of Hormuz. It has been dubbed the "Norway of Arabia" because of its exten ...
in Musandam Governorate, Oman
File:Jabal ar Raḩraḩ - 1676 m.jpg , Jabal ar Raḩraḩ (1,676 m), the UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...
's highest mountain, near Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah (; ), often referred to its initials RAK, is the largest city and capital of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the U.A.E. The city had a population of 191,753 in 2025, and is the sixth-most populous city in UAE after Dubai, Abu ...
File:African monarch (danaus chrysippus).jpg, African monarch butterfly ('' Danaus chrysippus'') in Zhighy Bay, Musandam Governorate
File:Blue basker dragonfly (Urothemis edwardsii) Oman.jpg, Blue basker dragonfly ('' Urothemis edwardsii'')
File:Rock semaphore gecko (pristurus rupestris) (12801641984).jpg, Rock semaphore gecko (''Pristurus rupestris'')
References
{{reflist
External links
Hiking: The Highest Points in the UAE
Important Bird Areas of Persian Gulf islands
Important Bird Areas of Oman