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 the Emirate of Abu Dhabi A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality ...

. It forms the southeastern part of the

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 ...

. Its main settlement is the eponymous city of Al Ain, located on the country's border with

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 ...

, about from the city of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirate and country. Compared to the Western Region, it is also a rather remote region of the Emirate, but smaller by area, and is not known to hold reserves of gas or

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude ...

, but is agriculturally important.

History and prehistory

The city of Al-Ain, part of a

historical region Historical regions (or historical areas) are geographical regions which at some point in time had a cultural, ethnic, linguistic or political basis, regardless of latterday borders. They are used as delimitations for studying and analysing soci ...

which also includes the adjacent 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 ...

, is noted for its forts, oases, '' aflāj'' (underground water channels), and archaeological sites such as those of

Hili Hili may be: * Tikoloshe, ''Tokoloshe'' or ''Hili'' — a dwarf-like water Sprite (creature) or zombie, in Zulu mythology * Hili, Dakshin Dinajpur — a border check-post in West Bengal, India * Hili (community development block) - an administrat ...

and Rumailah. Sites outside the city include

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 ...

and Al-A'ankah Fort. Sheikh

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 ...

had been the Ruler's Representative in this region, before becoming the

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 United Arab Emirates 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 ...

. In March 2017, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan renamed the region as Al Ain Region.

Demographics and settlements

As of 2009, the population of the region was estimated at 890,000. Aside from the main city, there are about 20 settlements which are governed by the region's municipal body, that is Al Ain Municipality. Most of them are estimated to have populations of no more than 10,000. They include: * Al-Faqa' (partly in the

Emirate of Dubai The Emirate of Dubai ( ar, إمارة دبيّ; pr. ) is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. It is the most populous emirate of the UAE. The capital of the emirate is the eponymous city, Dubai. Geography The city of Dubai ...

, 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 ...

from Al-Ain to

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 ...

) * Al-Hayer * Al-Qu'a * Al-Shwaib (on the road 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 The Emirate of Sharjah (; ar, إِمَارَة ٱلشَّارِقَة ') is one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates, which covers and has a population of over 1,400,000 (2015). It comprises the capital city of Sharjah, after which it ...

) * Al-Wagan * Al-Yahar * Mezyad * Nahel * Remah * Sa'ah *

Sweihan 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. ...

References

External links

Al Ain Region to host Arab's first adventure tourism conference
{{Abu Dhabi Municipal regions in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi Tawam, Eastern Arabia

History and prehistory

Demographics and settlements

See also

References

External links