Umm Al Quwain (UAQ;

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: أم القيوين, pronounced: /ʔumː alqejˈwejn/,

Gulf Arabic Gulf Arabic or Khaleeji ( ' local pronunciation: or ', local pronunciation: ) is a variety of the Arabic language spoken in Eastern Arabia around the coasts of the Persian Gulf in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, southern Iraq, ...

: �ʊm͜ː 'æl ge̞ˈwe̞n) is the capital and largest city of the

Emirate of Umm Al Quwain The Emirate of Umm Al Quwain (UAQ; ; ) is one of the Emirates of the United Arab Emirates, seven constituent emirates of the United Arab Emirates, located in the north of the country. It is the least populous and second smallest emirate in the ...

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 ...

. The city is situated on the

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

of Khor Al Bidiyah, with its nearest major cities being

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 ...

to the southwest 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 ...

to the northeast. The city's economy is primarily based on fishing and tourism, with some industrial activities and trade. Umm Al Quwain is connected to Ras Al Khaimah and

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 ...

by paved roads. Approximately 32 kilometers inland from the city is the oasis of

Falaj Al Mualla Falaj Al Mualla is the inland oasis town of Emirate of Umm Al Quwain, Umm Al Quwain, one of the seven emirates which comprise the United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Originally called Falaj Al Ali, after the Al-Ali (tribe), Al Ali tr ...

, which has date palm plantations. The ruling family of Umm Al Quwain, the Al Mualla family, descends from the Al Mualla lineage of the Al Ali tribe. The family originally lived on

Siniyah Island Siniyah Island (''Jazīrat as Sīnīyah'', ) is a natural island situated off the coast of the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the site of the oldest pearl fishing town in the Persian Gulf, as well as of an Easte ...

, but moved to the mainland due to a lack of freshwater resources and established an independent Sheikhdom. The current ruler of Umm Al Quwain is Sheikh

Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla (; born 1 October 1952) is the ruler and head of state of the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain since 2009 and a member of the Federal Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates. He is the son of Rashid bin Ahmad Al Mu ...

, who became the ruler on January 2, 2009, and is a member of the UAE Supreme Council. In March 2023, the Umm Al Quwain Department of Tourism and Archaeology announced the discovery of the oldest known pearling town in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

, located on

. The Sobha Siniya residential and resort complex is situated on

Etymology

The name Umm Al Quwain is widely believed to mean "mother of the two powers" (), which is derived from the Arabic phrase indicating the dual influence of land and water in the region.

Economy

Umm Al Quwain's economy is driven by various sectors, including tourism, fisheries, manufacturing, and trade. The city also benefits from the

Umm Al Quwain Free Zone Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone is a free economic zone located in the emirate of Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates. Created under a Ruler's Decree, Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone commenced operations in 1987. It functions under the administrati ...

, which supports

small and medium-sized enterprise Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are businesses whose personnel and revenue numbers fall below certain limits. The abbreviation "SME" is used by many national agencies and international organizat ...

s (SMEs) and encourages

investment Investment is traditionally defined as the "commitment of resources into something expected to gain value over time". If an investment involves money, then it can be defined as a "commitment of money to receive more money later". From a broade ...

. The economy has grown in recent years, with an increase in the number of commercial establishments and factories. Development of transportation infrastructure, including highways linking the city to other parts of the UAE, has further supported economic growth.. The fishing industry, along with manufacturing and trade, continues to play an important role in the city's economy. The government has initiated several programs to attract investment, promote economic diversification, and support the local business environment.

References

Populated places in Umm Al Quwain Cities in the United Arab Emirates Umm Al Quwain {{UnitedArabEmirates-geo-stub

Etymology

Economy

See also

References