Al Ain Oasis is the largest oasis in the city of Al Ain, within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. Gulf region picture was entirely different, before oil was discovered. It was not an uninhabited desert, life was there and had a rich tradition and long history of its own which is interesting and intriguing. When oil was discovered in 1960`s the picture entirely changed. To understand about the history of Abu Dhabi and how people lived in desert, the best place is Al Ain Oasis Tour.
Al Ain can be classified as a beautiful garden city in the Buraimi Oassis and is estimated to be inhabited for more then four thousand years and is said to be the prime center of cultural heritage of the country. Moreover it has a special place in the region because Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the United Arab Emirates was born here. Due to this it enjoys special care which resulted in many new buildings coming up, tree line boulevards, and gleaming fountain. Also the place is the abode of country’s biggest zoo and largest museum.
Al Ain is one of the major oases among the seven oasis of the country. A majestic date palm oasis is emerging in the heart of the city, which now attracts lots of tourists. There are eight entrances to this tourist spot. It is attracting young adventure tourists from all over the country and oasis has been conserved and developed understanding its great tourism potential.
The tourist spot is developed in a way to promote the country’s Bedouin culture and traditions. Here you could see mosques, traditional houses, houses used for storage and accommodation for farm workers, restaurants, rest areas and small – pathways and present day features.
Oases are mainly devoted for date farming and they are owned by various departments, sheikhs and other nationals. The irrigation is mainly done by Falaj which is an ancient irrigation system of narrow waterways and this system is old as 1000 BC. Water is sourced from mountain 30 kms away.
There are also numerous forts and the largest and famous is the Al Jahili.
- The Al Ain National Museum
- The Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum
- Al Jahili Fort
- A livestock market where camels are bargained and brought.
- A souk or market place
- A date palm grove with the ancient falaj irrigation system
- A view from atop Jebel Hafeet, the mountain that overlooks Al Ain City
Duration: Approximately 10 hours
Departure time and location: 7:45 AM; from select Abu Dhabi-area hotels
Return time and location: 6 PM; to select Abu Dhabi-area hotels