UmmAlQuwain is the capital and largest city of the emirate of Umm Al Quwain in UnitedArabEmirates. The least known emirate and city in UAE it is located on the peninsula of KhorAlBidiyah, with Sharjah to the southwest and RasAlKhaimah to the northeast. The city is known for its beautiful, lush green mangrove along the coast outside the city.
One of the least known emirates, the local economy mostly depends on traditional activities of fishing, falconry, camel racing and dhow building and are still evident in Umm Al Quwain emirate. The inland oasis and hinterland town of Falaj Al Moalla lie 50km from Umm Al Quwain city. The name Umm Al Quwain is derived from Umm Al Quwain, which means “Mother of two powers”, a reference to the powerful seafaring tradition of this emirate.
The modern history of Umm Al Quwain dates back some 200 years when the Al Ali tribe moved their capital from Al Sinniyah Island to its present location in the mid 18th century when the sweet water supply dried up. There are no airports or seaport in the city and air, sea and land connection is provided by other major cities of UAE such as AbuDhabi, AlAin, Dubai, Sharjah and RasAlKhaimah.A birdwatchers paradise the Umm Al Quwain city gives birdwatchers the opportunity to see wonderful wildlife or birds at Khor al Beida.
The shallow tidal lagoon and mudflats create the perfect feeding, nesting and resting habitat for several species of heron and plover, Greater Flamingo, gulls and terns. Between November and March, hundreds of Great Cormorants move from one sand bar to another. The coastal flats and dune tracks around the lagoon are excellent mountain hiking terrain, varied enough to suit any age and ability.
Al Sinniyah, the largest island near the city, with its mangroves is a marine sanctuary covering 90 square kilometres. It also has huge colonies of birds cormorants, other seabirds, gazelle and al Karam trees. Dugong (sea cows) and turtles can be seen in the shallow waters surrounding the island. The Shahin (or peregrine) falcon can be spotted here along with the famous light-skinned hunting hawk, the AI-Hur. Though one of the least known of emirate city in the country, there are lot of things to do for tourist. November to March is the best time to visit.
Tourists can visit various including Dreamland, the world’s largest aquapark, dhow building yard, Aquarium which is part of the Marine Research Centre, Happyland amusement park, camel racing, Umm Al Quwain museum, Al-Dur coastal city, Palma Bowling Club, and Palma Driveway. Tourists can indulge in several types of adventure activities like sailing, parasailing, waterskiing, windsurfing, kayaking and jetskiing in Umm al Quwain. Alcohol is freely available in hotels and restaurants.
Smoking “Shisha” is another activity tourists can indulge in the city. Umm Al Quwain Marine Club and Riding Centre allows riding enthusiasts to try ride horses. Umm Al Quwain Aeroclub, not far from Dreamland, is the first UAE aviation club set up under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Mualla is the go-to destination for thrill seekers across the world for skydiving and parachute as well as hotairballooning, paramotoring in UAE. Umm Al Quwain Motor Racing Club allows speed, thrill and exhilaration of off-road dunebashing, buggyracing and motorbiking in three purpose-built arenas.
Falaj Al Mualla Garden Park is a family-oriented place to enjoy watersports. There are few hotels that offer luxurious, midrange and budget accommodation to tourists. restaurants serve a variety of Arabic Indian and Chinese cusine especially seafood at reasonable prices. There are few nightclubs that operate in the hotels. The resorts along the coast offer a lot of chances for scubadiving snorkelling and swimming. There are a few shoppingmalls that sell a variety of goods both branded and local.
A visit to the local souq is a must. The sheer lack of hotels and shopping malls compared to other main cities in UAE makes Umm Al Quwain look like a city that was frozen in time. The city banks on thrill-seekers to promote tourism making it a must-visit on extended weekends.
