Khor Fakkan, on the UAE’s east coast, is a great place for a getaway when you need a change of scenery.
The seaside town in the emirate of Sharjah is surrounded by the emirate of Fujairah and has plenty to see and do, from family-friendly activities to hiking trails and historical discoveries.
Sitting on the Gulf of Oman, the Sharjah enclave boasts cooling winds, golden shorelines and a rugged Hajar mountain backdrop.
Here are ten things to do on your next visit.
1. Khor Fakkan Waterfalls
This man-made waterfall towers 45 metres high on a natural cliff overlooking the town's Corniche. Its thundering waterways carved out of the rocks makes for a worthy stopping point on any visit to the town. There are a few cafes and ample parking spaces nearby, and its right next to Khor Fakkan Amphitheatre – a sprawling Roman-inspired structure that’s become something of a local landmark. It’s also worth visiting the falls in the evening when strategically placed lighting illuminates the cascading water.
2. Al Rafisah Dam
Get out on the water at Al Rasifah Dam just off the Sharjah-Khor Fakkan highway. Originally built in the 1980s, the dam has recently been upgraded and has a visitors' centre, a rest area and a whole host of watersports on offer. Go kayaking, head out on a pedalo or spin around the dam on a doughnut boat. It’s also a great place to enjoy a picnic with picturesque views of the sandstone mountain range and bright blue reservoir.
3. Shees Park
Shees Park is a relatively new addition to Khor Fakkan, having opened in 2020 and is a great place to stop off on a road trip, or to take the family to during the cooler months. Nestled among the Hajar Mountains, it is spread over 11,000 square metres and has a 25-metre-tall waterfall, an artificial lake, play areas, barbecue spots, an open-air amphitheatre and 500 metres of mountain walkways leading visitors to a main viewing deck with epic vistas.
4. Al Rabi Tower
Perched on a hill overlooking Khor Fakkan town is Al Rabi Tower. This stone structure was built in 1915 as part of the town’s defence network of watchtowers. Today, it’s also the start of a picturesque hiking trail. Winding through the hills, this 5.3km trail is well-marked and zigzags up to a 395-metre summit with fantastic views. Post-hike, head to The View by Wave — a boho-chic cafe with barista-art coffees and light bites served with amazing views from the outdoor terrace.
5. Al Suhub Rest House
Looking like it's straight out of a sci-fi film, the flying-saucer-shaped Al Suhub Rest House is about a 30-minute drive from Khor Fakkan town. Perched high on a hillside, it’s a great place to go for ample views of the destination's mountains and coastlines. There's also service amenities and Fen Cafe & Restaurant, which serves up tasty bites alongside panoramic vistas.
6. Najd Al Maqsar Heritage Village
The restored village of Najd Al Maqsar offers a glimpse into life in a different era. Nestled on the slopes of the Hajar Mountains, it is made up of 13 mud and stone houses dating back centuries. Al Maqsar Tower is the village's 300-year-old fortress, perched atop the highest peak and constructed as part of Khor Fakkan’s watchtower defence network. Restoration work is ongoing at the village, with plans to turn the buildings into heritage hotel units and to add a terrace on the fort to make the most of its views over the surrounding valley. Visitors will soon be able to check-in for the night at this historical destination which will operate as a new retreat by The Sharjah Collection - the same hotel group that operates the Kingfisher, Al Faya and Al Badayer Retreats as well as Sharjah's luxury glamping site Moon.
7. Khor Fakkan Beach
As a seaside town, Khor Fakkan is famed for its golden shorelines and Khor Fakkan Beach is one of the town's highlights. Having recently been redeveloped, the 2.5km shoreline and corniche now includes an inflatable water play area, various food trucks, fountains, a skate park, play parks and even a beach library. History buffs should head to the southern end of the palm-lined Corniche to see the triangular Portuguese Fort which dates back to 1635.
8. Souq Sharq
Step back in time with a visit to Khor Fakkan’s old souq, designed in the style of a traditional heritage village. Souq Sharq is the place to shop for spices, herbs, handicrafts and more in this cluster of restored buildings. On-site there's also a traditional crafts museums that sheds more light on what life was like in the region in years gone by, and entrance is free.
9. Shark Island
A short boat ride away from Khor Fakkan bay's south-eastern side is Shark Island, a small rocky isle that’s a great place to visit for a day of beachside chilling. Huge shoals of coral surrounding the island make it a fantastic snorkelling destination and the island is also popular with scuba divers who come to spot blacktip reef sharks and other marine life.
10. Hisn Khor Fakkan museum
Step back in time with a visit to Hisn Khor Fakkan museum. Designed to replicate the nearby fort, it opened in 2019 and houses a fantastic collection of artefacts. Step inside the fortress-like building to see exhibits, photographs and 3D models that narrate important parts of Sharjah's rich east coast history. There are also treasures that archaeologists have unearthed in Khof Fakkan and the surrounding areas, including carvings depicting people hunting or dancing, walking or riding on horseback, and others of animals that would have been common in this region.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
THE BIO:
Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
Married, father of six
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
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5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m, Winners: Sharkh, Pat Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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Match info
Liverpool 3
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Southampton 0
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
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Specs
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Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
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Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
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- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
