Al Ain () is a city in the

Emirate of Abu Dhabi The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is one of seven Emirates of the United Arab Emirates, emirates that constitute the United Arab Emirates. It is the largest emirate, accounting for 87% of the nation's total land area or . Abu Dhabi also has the second ...

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 ...

, and the seat of the administrative division of the

Al Ain Region The Eastern Region (), officially known as Al Ain Region (), is one of three Municipal Regions in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It forms the southeastern part of the United Arab Emirates. Its main settlement is the eponymous city of Al Ain, locate ...

. The city is bordered to the east by the

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 ...

i town of

Al-Buraimi Al Buraimi () is an oasis city and a ''wilayah'' (province) in northern Oman, on the border with the U.A.E. It is the capital of Al Buraimi Governorate and is located approximately from the national capital Muscat. It is bordered by the U.A.E. ...

. Al Ain is the largest inland city in the Emirates, the fourth-largest city (after

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...

, and

Sharjah Sharjah (; ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It is the capital of the Emirate of Sharjah and forms part of the D ...

), 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 ...

connecting Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai form a geographic triangle in the country, each city being roughly from the others.

Climate and geography

Al Ain is known as the "Garden City" () of Abu Dhabi, the UAE or the

Gulf A gulf is a large inlet from an ocean or their seas into a landmass, larger and typically (though not always) with a narrower opening than a bay (geography), bay. The term was used traditionally for large, highly indented navigable bodies of s ...

, due to its greenery, particularly with regard to the city's oases, parks, tree-lined avenues and decorative roundabouts, with strict height controls on new buildings, to no more than seven floors. According to one author, the oases around Al Ain and

Al-Hasa Al-Ahsa or Al-Hasa may refer to: * Al-Ahsa Eyalet, or Lahsa Eyalet, a subdivision of the Ottoman Empire, now part of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar * Al-Ahsa Oasis, an oasis and historical region in eastern Saudi Arabia. ** Al-Ahsa Governorate, a ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

are the most important in the region of the Gulf. The city is located approximately east of the capital Abu Dhabi, and about south of Dubai.
/ref> The eastern region covers an area of approximately .

lies to the east, Dubai and Sharjah to the north, Abu Dhabi to the west and the Rub' Al Khali, 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 (, "Mount Hafeet"; variously transcribed Jabel or Jebal and Hafit – literally "empty mountain") is a mountain in the region of Tawam, on the border of the United Arab Emirates and Oman. It is often considered an outlier of the Ha ...

'' ("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, Jebel Hafeet is one of the highest mountains in the country, and has a number of

ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...

s which stretch to the inner part of the city, two of which are ''Jabal Al Naqfah'' (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 divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''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 during this time of the year. Boer (1997) classified the UAE climate as hyper-arid and divided it into four climatic regions: the coastal zone along the Persian

, the mountain areas northeast of UAE, the gravel plains around Al Ain, and the central and southern sand desert. More rainfall and lower temperature 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, there is the man-made Lake Zakher, which resulted from the release of waste water from desalination plants. 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 () is a settlement in the Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, to the south of the main part of Al Ain City, on the border of the U.A.E. and Oman. It is known for having a historical fort, and is part of a desert park, which also ...

is located.

Demographics

With a population of 846,787 (as of 2021), it has the highest percentage 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. The term often refers to a professional, skilled worker, or student from an affluent country. However, it may also refer to retirees, artists and ...

s, particularly from the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

. Many people are from

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. There is also a significant number of

Afghans Afghans (; ) are the citizens and nationals of Afghanistan, as well as their descendants in the Afghan diaspora. The country is made up of various ethnic groups, of which Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks are the largest. The three main lan ...

in the city.

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 Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in Sweden that designs and sells , household goods, and various related services. IKEA is owned and operated by a series of not-for-profit an ...

store and Bawadi Mall on Zayed Bin Sultan Street, the road which leads to Mezyad. Industry is growing on a small scale, and includes the

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...

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) () is a public institute of technology with 16 campuses and facilities throughout the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1988 by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al-Nahyan, it is the largest applied higher educa ...

, well-equipped medical facilities including the teaching hospital at Tawam,

Al Ain International Airport Al Ain International Airport (, transliterated: Maṭār Al-ʿAyn Ad-Duwalī) is an airport located west-northwest (login required) of Al Ain in the Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. It was opened on 31 Mar ...

, and military training areas. Al Ain also has world's largest

dates Date or dates may refer to: * Date, the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') * Jujube, also known as red date or Chinese date, the fruit of ''Ziziphus jujuba'' Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activit ...

processing and marketing company, Al Foah Company LLC. The place is also famous for Al Ain Dairy Farm located just outside Al Ain.

History and prehistory

The region of Al Ain and Buraimi, together known as the Buraimi

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment is of cultural and historical importance. For example, the area witnessed events relevant to the

history of Islam The history of Islam is believed, by most historians, to have originated with Muhammad's mission in Mecca and Medina at the start of the 7th century CE, although Muslims regard this time as a return to the original faith passed down by the Abr ...

during the

Rashidun The Rashidun () are the first four caliphs () who led the Muslim community following the death of Muhammad: Abu Bakr (), Umar (), Uthman (), and Ali (). The reign of these caliphs, called the Rashidun Caliphate (632–661), is considered i ...

Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a membe ...

and

Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...

eras, similar to

Dibba Dibbā () 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 Fujairah, UAE * Dibb ...

and

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 ...

. It was at this place

Sheikh Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...

Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was an Emirati royal, politician, philanthropist and the founder of the United Arab Emirates. Zayed served as the governor of Eastern Region from 1946 until he became ...

, the founder of the United Arab Emirates,had spent considerable time of his life (approximately from 1927 till he became the Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1966). Though it is often said that he was born in Abu Dhabi, some others were of the opinion that he was born in Al-Ain. Al-Ain could also be the place for the oldest mosque in the country, which is in the premises of the Sheikh Khalifa Mosque. Part of the historically important Western Hajar region, the area of Al Ain has been inhabited for nearly 8,000 years, with archaeological sites showing human settlement at places like Rumailah, Hili and Jabel Ḥafeet. The early Hafit culture 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 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 lobbied for its recognition as a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

, 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 () is an area of irrigated date farm in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates featuring a distinctive ''falaj'' () irrigation system as well as a late Bronze Age archaeological site dated to 1800–1500 BCE. The oasis has been extensively su ...

is thought to have been constructed from stones recovered from previous Umm Al Nar burials. Qattara dagger

Finds at Qattara include Wadi Suq era

chlorite The chlorite ion, or chlorine dioxide anion, is the halite (oxyanion), 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 s ...

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 semiprecious stone. Similar to carnelian is sard, which is generally harder and darker; the difference is not rigidly defined, and the two names are often used int ...

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 the Western Tibet region of China, flows northwest through the disp ...

. 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 is ...

, 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 ''aflaj'' (underground water channels) in Bidaa bint Saud, Al Ain and Buraimi which have been placed several centuries prior to the qanats of 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 ...

, which had previously been credited with the innovation. Al Ain was originally within the area of influence of the

Dhawahir The Dhawahir (; singular ''Al Dhahiri'' ()) is a tribe of the United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The tribe's main centre was the Al Buraimi Governorate, Buraimi Oasis and the village, then town (now city) of Al Ain. They have long ha ...

, a Bedouin tribe who settled Dhahirah before Buraimi. A later wave of settlers, the

Na'im The Na'im () (singular Al Nuaimi ) are an Arab tribe in the United Arab Emirates. The tribe is also present in other gulf countries. The Na'im are divided into three sections, the Al Bu Kharaiban, the Khawatir and the Al Bu Shamis (singular ...

, 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, 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, or Trucial Oman, was a group of tribal confederations to the south of the Persian Gulf (southeastern Arabia) whose leaders had signed protective treaties, or truce ...

. A number of interests jostled for influence over the tribes of Buraimi, including the Sultan of Muscat, the

Wahhabis Wahhabism is an exonym for a Salafi revivalist movement within Sunni Islam named after the 18th-century Hanbali scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. It was initially established in the central Arabian region of Najd and later spread to other ...

(who had made a number of incursions) and the Sheikhs of the Trucial States, particularly the

Bani Yas The Bani Yas () is a tribe, tribal confederation of Najdi origin in the United Arab Emirates. The tribal coalition, consisting of tribes from Dubai to Khor Al Adaid in southeast Qatar, was called the Bani Yas Coalition (). The House of Nahyan, Al ...

of Abu Dhabi, who acquired large tracts of land, principally from the Dhawahir. This

suzerainty A suzerain (, from Old French "above" + "supreme, chief") is a person, state (polity)">state or polity who has supremacy and dominant influence over the foreign policy">polity.html" ;"title="state (polity)">state or polity">state (polity)">st ...

over Al Ain was cemented by Sheikh

Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan (; 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 namesake of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Z ...

, 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 (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

, 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 (, ''the blessed one of London'') was a British military officer, explorer, and writer. Thesiger's travel books include '' Arabian Sands'' (1959), ...

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 '. (; , ) or Empty Quarter is a desert encompassing most of the southern third of the Arabi ...

. He met Sheikh Zayed and stayed with him at Al Muwaiji Fort. An ongoing dispute between

, Abu Dhabi and Oman led to the Buraimi Dispute, a series of incidents which saw a Saudi armed force enter the oasis. Forces from the

Trucial Oman Scouts The Trucial Oman Scouts (), known as Trucial Oman Levies prior to 1956, was a predecessor paramilitary force that operated in the Trucial States under British control from 1951 to 1971, after which they were renamed to the Union Defence Force with ...

, 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 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

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 (now Radisson Blu), 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 19th century fort in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The fort was built in 1891 in Al-Jahili Oasis by Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan for the protection of date palm farmers. In 1955, it served as a base for the Tru ...

, among the largest castles in the region File:Mezyad Fort.jpg,

, as viewed from

near the southern border with

Al Buraimi Governorate Al Buraimi Governorate () is one of the 11 governorates of Oman. The area was part of Ad Dhahirah Region until October 2006, when a new governorate was created from the wilayats (provinces) of Al Buraymi and Mahdah. A third wilayat, As- Sun ...

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 (), 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 birthplace of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former Ruler of ...

'', the birthplace of

Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (; 7 September 1948 – 13 May 2022) was the second president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, serving from November 2004 until his death in May 2022. Khalifa was the eldes ...

, 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 (), is the head of state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The president and vice presidents are ''de jure'' elected every five years by the Federal Supreme Council, and the prime ...

, and former home of his father,

Sheikh Zayed Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was an Emirati royal, politician, philanthropist and the founder of the United Arab Emirates. Zayed served as the governor of Al Ain Region, Eastern Region from 1946 un ...

Oases and ''Aflaj''

The city's '' wāḥāt'' () are known for their underground irrigation system (''falaj'' or ''

qanāt A qanāt () or kārīz () is a water supply system that was developed in ancient Iran for the purpose of transporting usable water to the surface from an aquifer or a well through an underground aqueduct. Originating approximately 3,000 years a ...

'') that brings water from boreholes to water farms and palm trees. Falaj

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

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. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

and other countries. There are seven oases here. The largest is

Al Ain Oasis Al-Ain Oasis (, "Oasis of the Spring (hydrology), Spring") is the largest oasis in the city of Al Ain, within the Al Ain Region, Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. Geography It is located in Al-Mutawa'a Distric ...

, 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 () was the brother of Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Ruler of Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi from 1928 to 1966, and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi from 1966 to 2004 and the United A ...

, 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 these have 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) () is a public research university located in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1976 by the country's first President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, it is the oldest university in the United ...

, and to two campuses of the

– Al Ain Men's College and Al Ain Women's College. Al-Ain is also the home of Horizon International flight academy,

Etihad Airways Etihad Airways is one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates (the other being Emirates). Its head office is in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, near Zayed International Airport. The airline commenced operations in November 2003, and ...

's cadet pilot training centre. Private higher education institutions include the

Al Ain University Al Ain University (AAU) (), is a private university in the United Arab Emirates with two campuses: one in Al Ain, and the other in Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi ...

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) (), is the educational authority for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate of the United Arab Emirates and the home of the country's capital city. The department was initially es ...

, Abu Dhabi's education authority. Al-Ain's first formal school,

Al Nahyaneia Model School Al Nahyaneia Model School (also Al Nahyaneya Model School) is one of the first government-run schools built in the United Arab Emirates and the first in the city of Al Ain. It was established by Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Sheikh Zaye ...

, was founded by Sheikh Zayed in 1959. 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 Our Own English High School, Dubai () is a private Indian school situated in Al Warqa, Dubai. It is one of the oldest schools in the city of Dubai, being founded in 1968. It is an Indian school following the CBSE curriculum. The first campus op ...

, Al Adhwa Private School, Brighton College Al Ain an
Al Ain Juniors School
A new British International School, Belvedere International School 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. It was officially inaugurated on 17 December 1979. In March 2006,

Johns Hopkins Hospital Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1889, Johns Hopkins Hospital and its school of medicine are considered to be the foundin ...

(

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 li ...

of Shaikha Salamah. In 2021, the Sheikh Khalifa Grand Mosque became the biggest in the city, as well as one of the largest mosques in the country.

Transportation

Al-Ain is connected via the Dubai–Al-Ain Road to Al Faqa' and

in the north, which also connects to

Al Madam Al Madam () is an inland town of the Emirate of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. 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 t ...

in the

Emirate of Sharjah The Emirate of Sharjah (; ') 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 is named, and other minor towns and exclave ...

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 thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

to Dhank,

Ibri Ibri () is a city and '' Wilāyat'' (Province) in the Ad Dhahirah Governorate, in northwest Oman. Ancient history Ibri Province (''Wilayat'' Ibri) is distinguished by archaeological landmarks including forts, castles, and towers. In 1979, t ...

and

Nizwa Nizwa () is the largest city in Ad Dakhiliyah Region in Oman and was the capital of Imamate of Oman, Oman proper. Nizwa is about (1.5 hour drive) from the Omani capital Muscat. The population is estimated at around 83,544 people. Nizwa is o ...

in Oman. The city's airport (

) has scheduled passenger flights to Egypt, Pakistan and India. A new railway line linking Al-Ain to Abu Dhabi and to the Port of

Sohar Sohar () is the capital and largest city of the Al Batinah North Governorate in Oman. An ancient capital of the country that once served as an important Islamic port town on the Gulf of Oman, Sohar has also been credited as the mythical birthp ...

in Oman is being planned.

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

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, the

Al Ain Palace Museum Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum (), also known as "Al Ain Palace Museum" (), is a museum in the city of Al Ain, within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Description The museum is based in the palace of the former UAE President, She ...

, several restored forts and the

Hili Archaeological Park Hili Archaeological Park () 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 largest Bronze Age site in the UAE and dates from the 3rd millennium BC. Other rema ...

site, dating back to the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

. Jebel Hafeet dominates the surrounding area. It is popular to visit to the mineral springs at

Green Mubazzarah Jabal Hafeet (, "Mount Hafeet"; variously transcribed Jabel or Jebal and Hafit – literally "empty mountain") is a mountain in the region of Tawam, on the border of the United Arab Emirates and Oman. It is often considered an outlier of the Haj ...

at the base of the mountain, and to drive to the mountaintop at sunset. Other attractions include

Al Ain Zoo Al Ain Zoo (), also "Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort" or simply "Al Ain Wildlife Park" (), is a zoo located in the foothills of Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. It is primarily composed of ungulates and herbivore ...

, an

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

named "Hili Fun City", many well-maintained parks popular with families in the summer evenings, and a heritage village. Opened in 2012, Al Ain Adventure park 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) * Dassault Mercure, a French airliner built in th ...

. Mount Hafeet and the nearby 'beehive' tombs are part of what is known as " Jebel Hafeet Desert Park" 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 –

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. 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. 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 small sports car, close wheeled car, open-wheel car or quadracycle. Go-karts come in all shapes and forms, from non-motorised models to high-performanc ...

circuit. 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 #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

, and Arabic Radio Station, which is Abu Dhabi FM 94.9. In 2024 the city broke three

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

. Once in January as an 8 minute firework and drone display took place, breaking the record for 'Longest straight-line drones display’. The second took place on the country's 53rd National Day celebrations, as the firework show reached a distance of 11.1 km.

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

, 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 the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

. 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 "Al Ain 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

File:Camels in Al Ain.jpg,

Dromedaries The dromedary (''Camelus dromedarius''), also known as the dromedary camel, Arabian camel and one-humped camel, is a large camel of the genus ''Camelus'' with one hump on its back. It is the tallest of the three camel species; adult males stan ...

at the city's Camel Market. The

camel A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...

is important to the cultures of

Arabia 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 ...

, the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

, 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

Notable people

Mohammed bin Musallam bin Ham al-Ameri Sheikh Mohammed Bin Musallam Bin Ham Al-Ameri (born 1972) is an Emirati billionaire businessman, author and former UAE Federal National Council member. He is the Deputy Secretary-General of the Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro ...

* Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan * Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

References

External links

* Article in Arabic
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