Dhaid Fort
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Dhaid Fort, (Also known as ''Al Hisn Dhaid'') is a restored C18th fortification in the city of
Dhaid Dhaid, or Al Dhaid (), is the capital of the Central Region of the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. An oasis town, it has extensive irrigated date palm plantations with water channelled from the nearby Hajar mountains, at least in p ...
,
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 ...
, in the
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 ...
. It was an important interior stronghold for the Ruling families of Sharjah 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 ...
and a key strategic asset in maintaining a historical
Qawasim Al Qasimi (, spelled sometimes as Al Qassimi or Al Qassemi; plural: Al Qawasem and, archaically, Joasmee) is an Arab dynasty in the Persian Gulf that rules Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, today forming two of the seven emirates of the United Arab ...
dominance of the inland areas of the Northern Emirates.


Heritage

The reconstruction of the ruined fort took place between 2017 and 2021 and was undertaken on the orders of the Ruler of Sharjah and noted historian, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qasimi. The original fortification dates back to 1750. The reconstruction of the fort and surrounding area involved the demolition of a number of illegal buildings, including labour accommodation. The reconstructed fort was intended to form the centre of a new heritage area in the city, including a public square, the restoration of the Al Sharia Mosque, the construction of a folklore market, the Al Sharia Souq, and majlis as well as a wildlife museum. In July 2024, the Al Sharia Souq, consisting of 16 shops and constructed mainly in wood and palm fronds (''Barasti'') burned down. The cause of the fire remains unknown. The damaged souq was replaced with a concrete built 60-shop souq.


UNESCO

Dhaid Fort and the city's extensive oasis formed part of Sharjah's 2018 bid for UNESCO World Heritage Status, under the heading 'Sharjah, Gateway to the Trucial States', which also included the Heart of Sharjah;
Sharjah Fort Sharjah Fort (Al Hisn Sharjah) is a double story traditional rock, coral and adobe fortification in the centre of the city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The fort was originally constructed in 1820 by the then Ruler of Sharjah, S ...
; the former barracks of 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 ...
in Mirgab; Al Mahatta Fort, the first airport in 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 ...
; the coastal town of
Khor Fakkan Khor Fakkan () is a city and an exclave of the Emirate of Sharjah, located on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), facing the Gulf of Oman, and geographically surrounded by the Emirate of Fujairah. The city, the second largest on ...
; the oasis and settlement of
Wadi Helo Wadi Al Helo (, literally 'the sweet Valley') is a village in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Wadi Al Helo lies on the Sharjah to Kalba Road (E102), about southwest of Kalba. The settlement is situated in the seasonal watercourse, or ...
and Fili Fort, all following the Heart of Sharjah theme of a return to the simplicity and natural lifestyles of the late 1950s.


History

The largest inland city in the Emirate of Sharjah and also the oldest, the fertile oasis of
Dhaid Dhaid, or Al Dhaid (), is the capital of the Central Region of the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. An oasis town, it has extensive irrigated date palm plantations with water channelled from the nearby Hajar mountains, at least in p ...
has long occupied a strategic location in the mouth of the important Wadi Siji. The city has been a centre of human habitation since the
Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
and is located in an important crossroads between the
Hajar Mountains The Hajar Mountains (, ''The Rock (geology), Rocky Mountains'' or ''The Stone Mountains'') are one of the highest mountain ranges in the Arabian Peninsula, shared between northern Oman and eastern United Arab Emirates. Also known as "Oman Mounta ...
,
Jiri Plain The Jiri plain is an area of gravel plain extending across areas of Southern Ras Al Khaimah, Eastern Sharjah and Western Fujairah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The area, some 15 miles in length and 8 miles in breadth, is triangulated with the villa ...
and desert of Sharjah. The fort reflects the strategic importance of Dhaid as a Qawasim stronghold. The city was traditionally dominated by the Tanaij,
Bani Qitab The Bani Qitab (Singular ''Al Qetbi'', ) is an Arab tribe of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. The singular form of the name, ''Al Ketbi'', is a common family name in the Northern UAE today. Consisting of a settled southern section and a n ...
and Khawatir
Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...
tribes. Dhaid Fort was a key element in the 1920s power struggle between the deposed Ruler of Sharjah,
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 ...
Khalid bin Ahmad Al Qasimi Khalid (variants include Khaled and Kalid; Arabic: خالد) is a popular Arabic male given name meaning "eternal, everlasting, immortal". It also appears as a surname.
and the Ruler, Sheikh
Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi (1781–1866) was the Sheikh of the Qawasim and ruled the towns of Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Jazirah Al Hamra and Rams; all within the then Trucial States and now part of the United Arab Emirates. Briefly a ...
. Traditionally held on behalf of the Ruler of Sharjah by a ''
Wali The term ''wali'' is most commonly used by Muslims to refer to a saint, or literally a "friend of God".John Renard, ''Friends of God: Islamic Images of Piety, Commitment, and Servanthood'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008); John ...
'', Dhaid was a source of significant revenue (generating some 228 Maria Theresa Dollars annually in water rates, let alone the substantial revenues from dates and other agriculture in the area). An agreement was made between the two men that ceded Dhaid to Khalid bin Ahmad, but the fort was held by Bedouin loyal to Sultan bin Saqr. An agreement was made between the Al Qasimi Ruler of
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 ...
and the Sheikhs of two Bedouin tribes, the Bani Ka'ab and
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 ...
, that Dhaid would be held by Ras Al Khaimah on Khalid bin Ahmad's behalf, although the arrangement was never put fully in place, Khalid bin Ahmad taking possession of the fort and oasis in July 1928. By 1937, Khalid bin Ahmad was ruler of Dhaid, Kalba and Khor Fakkan. The unusual structure of Dhaid Fort was noted by historian JG Lorimer in his 1915 survey and gazetteer of the region, in which he records a town of some 140 houses dominated by the "four-towered Al Qasimi fort, featuring two round and two square towers."


References

{{Sharjah Forts in the United Arab Emirates