Ras Al Khaimah's Jebel Jais is the highest peak in the UAE and an important tourist attraction. Photo: RAK Tourism Authority
Ras Al Khaimah's Jebel Jais is the highest peak in the UAE and an important tourist attraction. Photo: RAK Tourism Authority
Ras Al Khaimah's Jebel Jais is the highest peak in the UAE and an important tourist attraction. Photo: RAK Tourism Authority
Ras Al Khaimah's Jebel Jais is the highest peak in the UAE and an important tourist attraction. Photo: RAK Tourism Authority

Travel

Destinations

Hatta, Jebel Jais and Khor Fakkan gear up for winter visitors

The UAE's mountainous areas offer fresh air, new attractions and outdoor experiences as the weather cools

Hayley Skirka
Hayley Skirka

October 29, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

With cooler weather on the horizon as we roll towards November, the UAE's mountainous areas are getting set to welcome tourists back to their peaks.

Hatta, Jebel Jais and Khor Fakkan are among the country's most popular areas, and they come into their own in winter when temperatures dip and people seek outdoor experiences. These three destinations have recently benefited from investment and development to "transform them into new tourist treasures", said state-run news agency Wam on Friday.

Hatta: camping, kayaking and sustainable waterfalls

Hatta Caravan Park is being billed as the region's first luxury caravan park. All photos: Dubai Holding
Hatta Caravan Park is being billed as the region's first luxury caravan park. All photos: Dubai Holding
Hatta Caravan Park opened to the public on October 1, 2021.
Hatta Caravan Park opened to the public on October 1, 2021.
The park is home to 11 bespoke caravans.
The park is home to 11 bespoke caravans.
The caravans have a range of amenities, including a TV, kitchenette and free Wi-Fi access.
The caravans have a range of amenities, including a TV, kitchenette and free Wi-Fi access.
Each caravan is designed to house two adults and two to three children.
Each caravan is designed to house two adults and two to three children.
Prices start from Dh1,350 per night at Hatta Caravan Park.
Prices start from Dh1,350 per night at Hatta Caravan Park.
The new addition was made to Hatta Resorts and Hatta Wadi Hub during its fourth season.
The new addition was made to Hatta Resorts and Hatta Wadi Hub during its fourth season.
Barbecue stations and fire pits are available for families.
Barbecue stations and fire pits are available for families.
Another new addition is Rovers, a four-wheel off-road electric scooter experience.
Another new addition is Rovers, a four-wheel off-road electric scooter experience.
Guests can explore the rocky mountainous terrain in a new way with the Rovers.
Guests can explore the rocky mountainous terrain in a new way with the Rovers.
Hatta Mountain Biking at Hatta Wadi Hub also has e-bikes.
Hatta Mountain Biking at Hatta Wadi Hub also has e-bikes.

Over the past few years, the city of Hatta has turned into a tourist destination famed for its natural scenery that spans across the mountains. The Hatta Dam and Hatta Lake also make the area a popular choice for those who enjoy camping, swimming and kayaking.

Hatta Season 4 recently launched at Hatta Resorts and Hatta Wadi Hub and will run until April next year. It includes the return of popular attractions such as the Twin Zipline, which was introduced last year, the Hatta Drop-In, where guests can slide into the water with doughnuts, skis and body boards, and Cannon, a human slingshot.

Since the launch of the Hatta Master Development Plan in 2016, visitor numbers to Hatta have increased from 60,000 per year, to more than a million in 2020, said Wam.

Read more

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The newest plans for the area include a 5.4 kilometre-long chairlift, the Hatta sustainable waterfalls project and the construction of hiking trails leading to the highest peak in Dubai - Jebel Umm Al Nisour.

The new cable car route will fly over Hatta Dam Lake and the departure station is being built on an upper platform above the Hatta Dam.

Set to open in 2022, the Hatta Sustainable Waterfalls project will use the slope of the upper dam to create a natural waterfall. The water used will be collected at the end of the stream, recycled and pumped back to the top of the dam.

Khor Fakkan's spaceship-inspired rest house

Sharjah's Al Suhub Rest House offers amazing views from its mountaintop base. Wam
Sharjah's Al Suhub Rest House offers amazing views from its mountaintop base. Wam

In the neighbouring emirate of Sharjah, lots of new developments in coastal Khor Fakkan have made the area one of the country's most popular winter regions.

Al Suhub Rest House - a distinctive circular structure, with a diameter of 30 metres that's located almost 600 metres above sea level to give visitors panoramic views of the area is a new addition that's been getting a lot of attention. There's also water fountains, beaches, a restaurant and a 730-metre walkway surrounded on all sides by towering palm trees. The Shees Park is another new addition to the area.

Al Rafisah Dam, which was originally built in the 1980s, offers fantastic scenery overlooking a large blue lake, with boating facilities and a backdrop of the Hajar mountains. The site has recently had an upgrade with a new visitor centre and rest areas.

Jebel Jais will host 51-km Highlander UAE hike

Highlander UAE will be the first long-distance, multi-day hiking adventure in the GCC. All images courtesy RAKTDA /Highlander UAE unless otherwise mentioned.
Highlander UAE will be the first long-distance, multi-day hiking adventure in the GCC. All images courtesy RAKTDA /Highlander UAE unless otherwise mentioned.
Launching in November, Highlander55 is a self-guided three-day trek through Ras Al Khaimah's mountainscape.
Launching in November, Highlander55 is a self-guided three-day trek through Ras Al Khaimah's mountainscape.
Fadi Hachicho, managing director of Highlander UAE (left) and Raki Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority speak at the preview of Highlander UAE.
Fadi Hachicho, managing director of Highlander UAE (left) and Raki Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority speak at the preview of Highlander UAE.
Jurica Barac, CEO Highlander Global (left) and Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (right) at the media preview of Highlander UAE. Courtesy RAKTDA
Jurica Barac, CEO Highlander Global (left) and Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (right) at the media preview of Highlander UAE. Courtesy RAKTDA
Highlander55 will run from Wadi Ghalilah to Shimal.
Highlander55 will run from Wadi Ghalilah to Shimal.
The long-distance trail will take hikers to the highest point in the UAE on Ras Al Khaimah's Jebel Jais. Courtesy Hayley Skirka
The long-distance trail will take hikers to the highest point in the UAE on Ras Al Khaimah's Jebel Jais. Courtesy Hayley Skirka
The inaugural edition of Highlander55 in Ras Al Khaimah will lead hikers along clearly flagged routes with more than half situated off-trail.
The inaugural edition of Highlander55 in Ras Al Khaimah will lead hikers along clearly flagged routes with more than half situated off-trail.
Participants must carry everything they need for the trip to be self-sufficient, with routes designed to challenge hikers physically across the rugged terrain of the Ras Al Khaimah mountain landscape.
Participants must carry everything they need for the trip to be self-sufficient, with routes designed to challenge hikers physically across the rugged terrain of the Ras Al Khaimah mountain landscape.
The Highlander UAE experiences will also include sessions such as yoga, Leave No Trace Talks, travel talks and the chance to share local folklore around the campfire.
The Highlander UAE experiences will also include sessions such as yoga, Leave No Trace Talks, travel talks and the chance to share local folklore around the campfire.
Highlander experiences are not a race and hikers will come together at night to enjoy campfires and local cuisine under the stars. Courtesy Hayley Skirka
Highlander experiences are not a race and hikers will come together at night to enjoy campfires and local cuisine under the stars. Courtesy Hayley Skirka

As the tallest peak in the UAE, the summit of Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah remains one of the most important tourist attractions in the country.

This region is popular with cyclists, hikers and adventurers year-round and enjoys cooler temperatures than much of the rest of the country, with winter weather getting quite cold at the top of the mountain. It's also home to the longest zip-line in the world, and in November will host the inaugural Highlander UAE hiking trail for outdoor enthusiasts ready to take on a 51-kilometre challenge.

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The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.

Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.

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6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors

10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters

Teams

Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.

Squad rules

All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.

Tournament rules

The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

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Updated: October 29, 2021, 1:32 PM`
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