The Hajar Mountains (, ''The
Rocky
Mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
s''
or ''The Stone Mountains'') are one of the highest mountain ranges in 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 ...
, shared between northern
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 ...
and eastern
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 ...
. Also known as "Oman Mountains",
they separate the low coastal plain of Oman from the high desert plateau, and lie inland from 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 ...
.
''Al'' () means "the", and ''Ḥajar'' () means "stone" or "rock". So ''al-Ḥajar'' () is named as "the stone" or "the rock".
Geology
Orography and tectonic setting
The Hajar Mountains extend for through 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 ...
and Oman. They are located on the north-east corner of the
Arabian Plate, reaching from the
Musandam Peninsula through to the east coast of
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 ...
. The range is about wide, with
Jabal Shams being the highest peak at in the central region of the mountains.
Currently, the
Arabian Plate is moving north relative to the
Eurasian Plate at per year.
Continental collision
In geology, continental collision is a phenomenon of plate tectonics that occurs at Convergent boundary, convergent boundaries. Continental collision is a variation on the fundamental process of subduction, whereby the subduction zone is destroy ...
is occurring at the
Zagros fold and thrust belt west of the
Musandam Peninsula. This collisional plate boundary transitions into a
subduction zone
Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere and some continental lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at the convergent boundaries between tectonic plates. Where one tectonic plate converges with a second p ...
, towards the east. Here,
oceanic crust
Oceanic crust is the uppermost layer of the oceanic portion of the tectonic plates. It is composed of the upper oceanic crust, with pillow lavas and a dike complex, and the lower oceanic crust, composed of troctolite, gabbro and ultramaf ...
of the
Arabian Plate is
subducted northwards beneath
Eurasia
Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...
, called the
Makran subduction zone.
Formation
The Hajar Mountains are the product of polyphase
mountain building
Mountain formation occurs due to a variety of geological processes associated with large-scale movements of the Earth's crust (List of tectonic plates, tectonic plates). Fold (geology), Folding, Fault (geology), faulting, Volcano, volcanic acti ...
. Uplift and deformation of the Arabian passive margin began during the late cretaceous as the
African-Arabian Plate began to subduct under the
South Tethyan Oceanic Plate imitated at an
intra oceanic subduction zone. This initiation may have been the result of plate rotation due to the breakup of
Gondwana
Gondwana ( ; ) was a large landmass, sometimes referred to as a supercontinent. The remnants of Gondwana make up around two-thirds of today's continental area, including South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia (continent), Australia, Zea ...
.
Similar to the modern convergence of the
Australian passive margin under
Eurasian oceanic crust, Arabian passive margin sediments became highly deformed and shortened forming an imbricated thrust belt. This also coincided with the emplacement of the
Semail Ophiolite. By the early
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian ( ) is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) geologic timescale, the latest age (geology), age (uppermost stage (stratigraphy), stage) of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or Upper Cretaceous series (s ...
, deformation ceased, and stable
continental shelf
A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an islan ...
conditions resumed.
A second episode of deformation began during the
Eocene Epoch around 45-40 Ma. This episode saw the reactivation of cretaceous
thrust fault
A thrust fault is a break in the Earth's crust, across which older rocks are pushed above younger rocks.
Thrust geometry and nomenclature
Reverse faults
A thrust fault is a type of reverse fault that has a dip of 45 degrees or less.
I ...
s and the development of long and short wavelength folding of Paleocene marine sediments that infilled previous
foredeep accommodation. Low temperature thermodchronometry of
apatite
Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals, usually hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite and chlorapatite, with high concentrations of Hydroxide, OH−, Fluoride, F− and Chloride, Cl− ion, respectively, in the crystal. The formula of the admixture of ...
grains has given ages to this deformation and subsequent exhumation of the mountain belt. Exhumation occurred in two states, first between 45 and 40 Ma and again from 20 to 15 Ma. This later unroofing could also be related to tectonic uplift in the nearby Zagros
Mountains
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...
of
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 ...
.
Lithology
The geology of the Hajar can be grouped into four major
tectonostratigraphic groups. Group one are the pre-
Permian
The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years, from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya. It is the s ...
basement rocks, a sedimentary sequence of
clastics,
carbonates and
evaporite
An evaporite () is a water- soluble sedimentary mineral deposit that results from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution. There are two types of evaporite deposits: marine, which can also be described as oce ...
s. Group two are a middle
Permian
The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years, from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya. It is the s ...
to Late
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
sequence of
continental shelf
A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an islan ...
carbonates, which were deposited
unconformably above the basement. Group three are a series of
nappe
In geology, a nappe or thrust sheet is a large sheetlike body of rock that has been moved more than or above a thrust fault from its original position. Nappes form in compressional tectonic settings like continental collision zones or on the ...
s (
allochthon
upright=1.6, Schematic overview of a thrust system. The hanging wall block is (when it has reasonable proportions) called a window. A klippe is a solitary outcrop of the nappe in the middle of autochthonous material.
An allochthon, or an alloc ...
ous rocks) that were transported from the northeast to the southwest horizontally for more than . This was a major tectonic event during the late
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
. This process is called
obduction, where
Permian
The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years, from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya. It is the s ...
to middle
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
continental slope-rise (shallow to deep marine) sedimentary rocks and late
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
oceanic crust
Oceanic crust is the uppermost layer of the oceanic portion of the tectonic plates. It is composed of the upper oceanic crust, with pillow lavas and a dike complex, and the lower oceanic crust, composed of troctolite, gabbro and ultramaf ...
(
Semail ophiolite) were thrust (obducted) above the rocks from groups one and two. Lastly, group four are late
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
to
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
shallow marine and terrestrial sedimentary rocks that were deposited on top of all three previous groups.
Structures
The high topography is around two major culminations: Jabal Akhdar and Saih Hatat, which are large scale
anticline
In structural geology, an anticline is a type of Fold (geology), fold that is an arch-like shape and has its oldest Bed (geology), beds at its core, whereas a syncline is the inverse of an anticline. A typical anticline is convex curve, c ...
s.
The Saih Hatat culmination contains
eclogite in the northeast at As Sifah. These rocks were
subducted to about 80 km (50 mi) depth into the
mantle, and then
exhumed back to the surface.
This
exhumation
Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and object ...
event created possibly the largest
megasheath fold on Earth, the Wadi Mayh megasheath fold.
The common view is that these
eclogites were originally
basic volcanic rocks within the leading edge of the continental crust of the
Arabian Plate. This leading edge was then
subducted by a NE-dipping
subduction zone
Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere and some continental lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at the convergent boundaries between tectonic plates. Where one tectonic plate converges with a second p ...
. However, some geologists have interpreted that these
eclogites were subducted through a SW-dipping subduction zone.
The two culminations are separated by the Semail Gap. This is a prominent linear structure, trending NNE—SSW. However, it is still debated as to what this structure is. Different geologists claim that it is a left-lateral (sinistral)
strike-slip fault
In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements. Large faults within Earth's crust result from the action of plate tectonic ...
, a
normal fault
In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements. Large faults within Earth's crust result from the action of plate tectonic ...
,
a lateral ramp,
a
monocline due to a blind
thrust
Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's third law. When a system expels or accelerates mass in one direction, the accelerated mass will cause a force of equal magnitude but opposite direction to be applied to that ...
,
or a
fault with multiple phases of deformation.
There is some debate over whether the topography of the Hajar Mountains is due to thin or thick-skinned tectonics (if
basement rocks were faulted during collision to create uplift due to thrust faults). Recent
Bouguer gravity and
magnetotelluric geophysical data suggest deep basement faults that have been activated as thrust faults during the collisional event that obducted the Semail Ophiolite. This has resulted in a much shallower depth to basement in the Hajar Mountains and a deeper depth to basement in the foreland basin to the west. This has implications on economic geology such as the mining for precious minerals and the extraction of oil and gas.
Modern topography
The late
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
obduction event created the proto-Hajar Mountains. However, this
topography
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
subsided and shallow marine sedimentation covered the region, beginning in the
Paleocene
The Paleocene ( ), or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 mya (unit), million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), ...
.
Paleocene
The Paleocene ( ), or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 mya (unit), million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), ...
to
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...
sedimentary rocks are found at above sea level within the Hajar,
and are
folded. This indicates that the present day
topography
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
formed ''after'' the late
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...
. The exact timing is debated, and various interpretations indicate the topography formed anywhere between the late
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...
through to the
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
.
The driving forces that formed the Hajar is also debated. Many geologists relate the
Zagros Collision as the reason for the
uplift forming the mountains,
as currently the
Musandam Peninsula (northwest corner of the mountain range) is
uplifting due to this collision. However,
Jabal Shams, the highest peak of the central mountains is over away from this zone. In addition, there is no major
seismicity within the central mountains, indicating that the mountains are not currently deforming, even though the
Zagros collision is.
This indicates that the
uplift that created the present day
topography
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
occurred in the past, possibly before the initiation of the
Zagros collision, by a mechanism that is not fully understood.
Geoconservation
Oman's geological record is extremely valuable to geologists, and needs to be
preserved.
It contains the most complete
ophiolite
An ophiolite is a section of Earth's oceanic crust and the underlying upper mantle (Earth), upper mantle that has been uplifted and exposed, and often emplaced onto continental crustal rocks.
The Greek word ὄφις, ''ophis'' (''snake'') is ...
on Earth, of which it is most famous for among geologists. The
ophiolite
An ophiolite is a section of Earth's oceanic crust and the underlying upper mantle (Earth), upper mantle that has been uplifted and exposed, and often emplaced onto continental crustal rocks.
The Greek word ὄφις, ''ophis'' (''snake'') is ...
sequence has spectacular
pillow basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron ( mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% o ...
(Geotimes pillow lava), as well as exposures of the fossil crust-mantle boundary (
moho). Generally,
ophiolite
An ophiolite is a section of Earth's oceanic crust and the underlying upper mantle (Earth), upper mantle that has been uplifted and exposed, and often emplaced onto continental crustal rocks.
The Greek word ὄφις, ''ophis'' (''snake'') is ...
s are
obducted prior to
continental collision
In geology, continental collision is a phenomenon of plate tectonics that occurs at Convergent boundary, convergent boundaries. Continental collision is a variation on the fundamental process of subduction, whereby the subduction zone is destroy ...
, which highly deforms the structure of the original
oceanic crust
Oceanic crust is the uppermost layer of the oceanic portion of the tectonic plates. It is composed of the upper oceanic crust, with pillow lavas and a dike complex, and the lower oceanic crust, composed of troctolite, gabbro and ultramaf ...
. However, because
continental collision
In geology, continental collision is a phenomenon of plate tectonics that occurs at Convergent boundary, convergent boundaries. Continental collision is a variation on the fundamental process of subduction, whereby the subduction zone is destroy ...
has not occurred in the Hajar, the Semail
ophiolite
An ophiolite is a section of Earth's oceanic crust and the underlying upper mantle (Earth), upper mantle that has been uplifted and exposed, and often emplaced onto continental crustal rocks.
The Greek word ὄφις, ''ophis'' (''snake'') is ...
is still intact. Oman also has one of the best exposed
mega-sheath folds ever discovered, the Wadi Mayh sheath fold.
Additionally, the relatively small outcrop of
eclogite is important. Eclogite is rare on the Earths surface, as it is a rock that forms at high pressures deep within the
crust or
mantle. Geologists can learn about what is occurring in the Earths interior and tectonic processes from these rocks. There are also various fossil localities in Oman that need to be protected. There is concern in the geological community that with the development of infrastructure these rocks that contain a great deal of information will be excavated and destroyed.
Geography
Central Hajar

The central section of the Hajar is the highest and wildest terrain in the country.
Jabal Shams is the highest of the range,
followed by
Jebel Akhdar. The latter
and the smaller Jebel Nakhl range are bounded on the east by the low
Samail Valley (which leads northeast to
Muscat
Muscat (, ) is the capital and most populous city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the population of the Muscat Governorate in 2022 was 1.72 million. ...
).
Eastern Hajar
East of Samail are the Eastern Hajar (), which run east (much closer to the coast) to the port city of
Sur,
almost at the easternmost point of Oman.
Western Hajar
The mountains to the west of Sama'il Valley, particularly those in Musandam Peninsula and the UAE,
are known as the Western Hajar (),
also known as the "
Oman proper". Since Jabal Akhdar and mountains in its vicinity are west of the valley, they may be regarded as Western Hajar.
Outlier(s)
In the
region of Tawam,
which includes the adjacent settlements of
Al-Buraimi and
Al Ain
Al Ain () is a city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and the seat of the administrative division of the Al Ain Region. The city is Oman–United Arab Emirates border, bordered to the east by the Omani town of Al-Buraimi. Al A ...
, on the border of Oman and the UAE
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 ...
, lies the
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
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 ...
, which measures in height.
Due to its proximity to the main range,
it may be treated as one of the Hajar Mountains, ''
sensu lato
''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...
''.
This mountain has
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 northwards to the city of Al Ain.
''Ru'us al-Jibal''
The northernmost mountains of the Hajar range are found on the Musandam Peninsula. For this reason, the phrase ''
Ru'us al-Jibal'' ("Heads of the Mountains") is applied to them, or the peninsula itself. Despite being physically part of the western Hajar, they differ in geology and hydrology to the rest of the range.
The highest point in the UAE is located at
Jebel Jais 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 ...
, which measures from sea level,
but since the summit is on the Omani side,
Jabal ar Rahrah, measuring over , has the highest peak in the UAE.
''Shumayliyyah''

The mountains bordering the ''Shamailiyyah'' () coast on the Gulf of Oman, forming parts of the northern
UAE Emirates of
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 ...
, Ras Al-Khaimah and
Fujairah
Fujairah City () is the capital of the emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. It is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, seventh-largest city in UAE, located on the Gulf of Oman (part of the Indian Ocean). It is the only Em ...
,
may also be called the ''Shumayliyyah'' ().
In this region is Jebel Al-Ḥeben (; ).
Flora and fauna
The mountains are rich in
plant
Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...
life compared to most of Arabia, including a number of endemic species. The vegetation changes with altitude, the mountains are covered with shrubland at lower elevations, growing richer and then becoming woodland, including wild
olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...
and
fig trees between , and then higher still there are
juniper
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...
s. Fruit trees such as
pomegranate
The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punica, Punicoideae, that grows between tall. Rich in symbolic and mythological associations in many cultures, it is thought to have o ...
and
apricot
An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus ''Prunus''.
Usually an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are also ...
are grown in the cooler valleys and in places there are rocky outcrops with little vegetation. The flora shows similarities with mountain areas of nearby
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 ...
, as well as with areas along the
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...
in the
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...
. For example, the tree ''
Ceratonia oreothauma'' is found here and also in
Somalia
Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
.
A number of birds are found in the mountains including
Egyptian
''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...
and
lappet-faced vultures (''Torgos tracheliotus''). Mammals include
mountain gazelles (''Gazella gazella'') and the
Arabian tahr (''Arabitragus jayakari'').
Other endemic species include a number of geckos and lizards: ''
Asaccus montanus'', ''
Asaccus platyrhynchus'' and a
subspecies
In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
of Wadi Kharrar rock gecko (''
Pristurus gallagheri'') are found only in Oman while Musandam leaf-toed gecko (''
Asaccus caudivolvulus''), Gallagher's leaf-toed gecko (''
Asaccus gallagheri''), Oman rock gecko (''
Pristurus celerrimus''), Jayakar lizard (''
Omanosaura jayakari'') and Oman blue-tailed lizard (''
Omanosaura cyanura'') are found only in the Hajar. The endangered
Arabian leopard (''Panthera pardus nimr'') had been recorded here,
particularly in the area of
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
northern part of the Musandam.
Like the ''Ru'us al-Jibal'',
the area of Jebel Hafeet is noted for hosting rare flora and fauna.
For example, in February 2019, an
Arabian caracal was sighted here,
and in March, a
Blanford's fox
Blanford's fox (''Vulpes cana'') is a small fox native to West Asia, Central Asia and parts of South Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Naming
Blanford's fox is named after the English naturalist William Thomas Blanford ...
,
which has also been reported in the mountains of Ras Al-Khaimah.
[ 10.1:23–24] In September 2024 it was reported that the rare white-edged rock brown butterflies were spotted in the area.
Threats and preservation
The Hajar are extensively grazed by domestic goats, camels and donkeys and the landscape has been cleared in parts for urban areas and for mining, which has damaged both vegetation and water supplies and uprooted traditional rural land management behaviours. Poaching of wildlife is another issue. The Oman government has created the Wadi Sareen Reserve and an area of Jebel Qahwan-Jebal Sebtah in the Eastern Hajar, for the protection of Arabian tahr and mountain gazelle. For visitors, there is a road into the mountains from the town of Birkat al-Mawz (on the road to
Nizwa from Muscat) and a walking route through Wadi al-Muaydin to the Saiq Plateau.
Trekking and hiking
There are 11 marked trails/routes of varying intensity (between Grade 1 to 3) and duration (between 1.5 hours to 18 hours) published by Ministry of Tourism, Oman along the Hajar range. Some areas are inaccessible, and requires special equipment, as shown in a
Steve Backshall
Stephen James Backshall (born 21 April 1973) is a British naturalist, explorer, presenter and writer, best known for BBC Television, BBC TV's ''Deadly (franchise), Deadly...'' franchise.
His other BBC work includes being part of the expedition ...
TV documentary.
See also
*
Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn
*
Gabal Hagar El Zarqa
*
Hafit period
The Hafit period defines early Bronze Age human settlement in the United Arab Emirates and Oman in the period from 3200 to 2600 B.C. It is named after the distinctive beehive burials first found on Jebel Hafeet, Jebel Hafit, a Hajar Mountains, ro ...
*
Hatta Heritage Village
*
List of mountains in the United Arab Emirates
*
List of mountains in Oman
*
List of wadis of the United Arab Emirates
*
List of wadis of Oman
*
List of tourist attractions in the United Arab Emirates
*
Hills of Masirah Island
*
Ras al-Jinz
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
*
Hiking: The Highest Points in the UAE
{{DEFAULTSORT:Al Hajjar
Mountains of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah
Mountains of the Emirate of Fujairah
*Al Hajar
Mountain ranges of the United Arab Emirates
Climbing in Oman