The authentic city of Al Ain is an hour and a half drive from Dubai, close to the border with Oman. With almost half a million inhabitants, Al Ain is the second city of the emirate of Abu Dhabi and is still growing, partly due to the increasing flow of tourists. The city is less touristy than Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but due to investments, the city has become a lot friendlier to tourists in recent years.
For those on holiday in Dubai for the first time, Al Ain may not be an obvious destination as there is enough to see in Dubai itself to keep you entertained for a week. But if you have been on holiday in Dubai or Abu Dhabi before and have already seen all the highlights of these two cities, Al Ain is a great destination for a fun day out. Tourists looking for authentic Arabic culture will be particularly happy in Al Ain. The city has several centuries-old forts, a beautiful national museum, a few archaeological sites and several beautiful oases. Al Ain used to be an important stop for the trades that traveled between the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Due to this trading history, the city has a wealth of cultural heritage and since 2011 some places in the city have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Those who come to Al Ain by their own transport can easily find the tourist attractions thanks to the special brown signposts. If you can’t find it, you can always ask the friendly locals who will be more than happy to help you. There is enough to see in Al Ain to keep you entertained for one or even two days, depending on how quickly you visit the various sights. If you are looking for glitz and glamor then you are in the wrong place in Al Ain, there are luxury hotels and a few shopping malls in the city, but it will never be as luxurious as in Dubai in Al Ain. Fine, because the authentic character is what makes Al Ain so special.
Al Ain Oase
The beautiful Al Ain Oasis is in the middle of the city and close to the Al Ain National Museum. This 3,000 hectares oasis is the source of Al Ain’s existence thanks to the presence of groundwater sources. The oasis consists of a more than 3,000 year old irrigation system with various canals to provide fresh water to palm plantations in the oasis.
There are several palm tree plantations in the oasis and in total there are more than 147,000 palm trees of more than 100 different varieties in the oasis. There are also many fruit trees including figs, bananas, mango and orange trees. Narrow paths are hidden between the many palm trees. You can walk through this trees to explore this special oasis.
Al Ain National Museum
The Al Ain National Museum is the oldest museum in the city and was built by Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. During a visit to this museum you will get a good idea of the traditions and culture of the city over the past 7,500 years. There is also a fort on the grounds of the museum, the Sultan Bin Zayed Fort. This square fort was built in 1910 by order of Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed I, from which the fort also owes its name.
The museum is located on the eastern edge of the Al Ain Oasis and offers a glimpse into the history of the city. The museum includes a collection of antique weapons, jewelry, tools and musical instruments. Numerous archaeological finds from the region are exhibited in the museum. Some of these finds even date back to the Stone Age, making them invaluable.
The entrance fee to Al Ain National Museum is AED 3 for adults and AED 1 for children under 10 years old. The museum is open daily (except Monday) from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. On Fridays there are different opening hours due to Friday prayers, on Fridays the museum only opens at 3 am.
Al Jahili Fort
The Al Jahili Fort is one of the oldest buildings in the United Arab Emirates and dates from 1891. The fort was built on behalf of Sheikh Zayed I and served as protection against the city and the precious palm tree plantations. After this, the building had various functions as the official residence of the governor. Headquarters of the Oman Trucial Scouts, the security guards of the mountain pass. According to rumors, Sheikh Zayed, the founder of the current United Arab Emirates, was also born in Al Hahili Fort.
The beautiful building is considered one of the most important historic buildings in Abu Dhabi and is now in top condition thanks to a thorough restoration. Today the fort is a museum and houses a permanent exhibition of the British adventurer Sir Wilfred Thesiger and one about Sheikh Zayed I.
Mosques in Al Ain
Just like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Al Ain is an Islamic city. As a result, there are several of mosques in the city, of which the Sheikha Salama Mosque, built in 2011, is one of the most beautiful. This modern designed mosque has striking square minarets and was designed by the famous Jordanian architect Jafar Tukan. Unfortunately, this mosque cannot be visited by non-Muslims and can therefore only be admired from the outside.
Another mosque in the city is the Al Zarawani Mosque which has a more traditional appearance. This mosque is located close to the Al Ain National Museum and the Al Ain Mall. In 2016, one of the largest mosques in the United Arab Emirates will open in Al Ain. Then the doors of the Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Masjid mosque open, which can accommodate almost 20,000 worshippers. This mosque is in the center of the city, near the university. The mosque will have a striking dome with a diameter of 86 meters and a height of 31 meters. Surrounding it will be four minarets, each 60 meters high.
The camel market
The Al Ain Camel Market (also known as the Camel Souk) is part of the Live Stock Market and is the largest camel market in the Emirates. It is also one of the last places in the Emirates where camels are still traded on a large scale. Here you can admire the camels up close and see how traders try to convince each other of the value of the camel. The camel market is a feast for the eyes and a great location for the (hobby) photographer, full of unique photo opportunities. Be careful not to let a camel owner tempt you into taking a photo with the camels, as there is a good chance that he will want to see money afterwards.
The Camel Souk is located about 15 kilometres from the center on Zayed bin Sultan Street (also known as Street 137 or Mezyad Road) near the Meyzad border with Oman, behind the Bawadi Mall. Before you reach the camel market, you first pass a souk that is mainly aimed at tourists. The camel market can be reached by bus from the center of Al Ain. Lines 900, 950, 960 and 980 stop at the Bawadi Mall near the Camel Souk. Entrance to Camel Souk is AED 30 and the market is open daily from 6am to 7pm.
Jebel Hafeet
Jebel Hafeet Mountain is literally the highlight of the city. With its height of 1249 meters, this mountain towers far above all other peaks and is the highest mountain in Abu Dhabi and the third highest in the United Arab Emirates. There are not a single tree on the mountain, only rocks, which makes the view even more spectacular. Especially during sunset you have a beautiful view of the setting sun from the top of the mountain.
The top of the Jebel Hafeet is easy to reach by car (or bicycle if you are very sporty) thanks to an road of 11.7 kilometer that was recently constructed. The road to the top has sixty bends and has recently been declared one of the most beautiful roads on earth by a number of car magazines. The south side of the mountain is in the Sultanate of Oman, the rest of the mountain is in the Emirates, but unfortunately Oman cannot be reached via the beautiful mountain road.
Al Ain Zoo
Al Ain is home to the most beautiful zoo in the United Arab Emirates. The 900-hectare Al Ain Zoo is located at the foot of the Jebel Hafeet mountains and has almost 3,700 animals from 197 different species. 30% of these animals are on the list of endangered species. The zoo actively participates in various breeding programs to save some of these endangered animals from extinction. The zoo includes a rare white tiger of which there are only 200 left in the wild. There are also a herd of giraffes which have access to a large expanse of land. Anyone who walks through the zoo will see that the animals here have a good life.
Al Ain Zoo is open daily from 9am to 8pm. In the hot summer months (June to September) the zoo is open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The entrance fee is AED 30, which is around 8 US Dollar.
How to visit Al Ain?
Al Ain is located approximately 150 kilometres from the center of Dubai and 146 kilometres from the center of Abu Dhabi. From Dubai you can reach Al Ain in about an hour and a half, from Abu Dhabi it takes about 2 hours to get to Al Ain. The city has its own airport and there are various hotels, from simple 2-star hotels to super luxurious 5-star resorts.
Al Ain bezoeken?
Don’t have your own car but still want to discover the historic city of Al Ain? No problem, since November 2015 Big Bus Tours has had a hop-on-off bus route in the city. If you book a ticket for this tour you will receive a free shuttle service from Dubai or Abu Dhabi. You can read more information about the Big Bus Tours in Al Ain on this page. It is also possible to book a fully organized bus trip to Al Ain, GetYourGuide offers various bus rides:
– Day tour to Al Ain from Dubai
– Private Day Tour from Dubai to Al Ain
– Al Ain City Tour from Dubai
