The 'garden city' of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
whose name means 'The Spring' Al Ain was historically
the favourite resort of the nomadic bedouin. This
great Oasis originally comprised nine village settlements,
six in Abu Dhabi known as Tu'am or Al Jau and three
in Oman called Buraimi. Progressive development has
moulded the nine settlements into one cohesive community.
Of the many parks and gardens among the palm groves,
the most spectacular is the Zoological Garden, preserving
and protecting many species of Arabian fauna and
many animals from further afield.
Al Ain is the UAE's playground, with a host of attractions
for business visitors and tourists. Jahili Fort is
the birthplace of H.H. Shaikh Zayed, the Ruler of
Abu Dhabi and, in its well-preserved state it is
surrounded by beautiful shady gardens. It was for
many years the operational headquarters of the Oman
Trucial Scouts, the force which protected the mountain
passes and kept the peace with remote tribesmen.
Just south of the garden city is a recently developed
water park called Ain Al Fayda, based around an artesian
well discovered in the late 1960s. Now it has boating
canals and a swannery among its attractions.
The whole area of Al Ain can be viewed from the
heights of Jebel Hafit, a spur of the great Hajjar
mountain plateau that forms western Oman.
Infants are not provided with a seat. If your baby is more than 6 months old, you may book a seat for him/her listing him/her as a “child”. More information is available at carriage of infants.
