Al Ain

Al Ain is a fertile oasis city located in the east of the Abu Dhabi, which is capital city of the UAE. Its name means "the spring" in Arabic which is derived from its originally plentiful supply of fresh water.


The city featured as a well-known stop on a major south-west route used by traders for centuries. The district known as Buraimi, once part of Al Ain but has become part of neighboring Oman, can be found on most ancient maps as a place where food and water could reliably be found in an otherwise barren region.

Al Ain is still famous for its traditional irrigation system also known as 'the Falaj", which mostly date back as far as 1, 000 BC. The water was directed through a network of skillfully designed, man-made tunnels and channels to provide "trickle irrigation" to the farms and date groves in the surrounding area.

There is a vast green pasture in Al Ain which covers more than 100 kilometers of the area and million of assorted trees and date palms which are watered by reprocessed waste water and desalinated water.

There are numerous farms around the city of Al Ain which produce a huge amount of vegetable crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuces.

One of the tourists attractions in Al Ain is Jebel Hafeet which is a limestone monolith rising 1350 feet and provides spectacular views across the border between the UAE and Oman.

A lot of tourists go up Jebel Hafeet to enjoy its view of winding roads and royal palaces at the top.