Residents and visitors in the UAE can add another activity to their winter to do list as the Jebel Hafeet Desert Park in Al Ain is set to reopen on Sunday.
Located at the foot of the imposing Jebel Hafeet mountain, the park will open daily for six months, from 8am to 6pm.
Home to some of the UAE’s rarest plant species, visitors can enjoy a mix of history, culture, and stunning natural landscapes along the 9-kilometre stretch of park.
Officially opened to the public in February this year, the popular outdoor attraction is noted for its 5,000-year-old domed beehive tombs that sit within the grounds.
To visit Jebel Hafeet Desert Park is to travel through thousands of years of Emirati history
Early inhabitants of the area built the tombs as a resting place for the dead.
Each single chamber is constructed of rough-cut local rock and measures about four metres tall and three metres wide.
The ring walls, which look similar to a beehive, gradually slope inwards until they meet, forming a dome.
The park’s cultural and natural features are one of the cultural sites of Al Ain that make up the UAE’s first designated Unesco World Heritage Site.
"To visit Jebel Hafeet Desert Park is to travel through thousands of years of Emirati history," said Saood Al Hosani, acting undersecretary at the Dubai of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi.
"This landmark offers a fascinating insight into the UAE’s unique heritage and is complemented with a range of outdoor activities suitable for visitors of all ages and abilities.
“I encourage families, history buffs and nature enthusiasts to visit our world heritage site and discover its beauty for themselves."
For the green-fingered visitor, rare plants can be found throughout the park too which are protected as part of a conservation project.
Earlier this year, a rehabilitation programme was launched by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi to help preserve and regenerate some of the UAE’s most endangered plant species.
More than 100 plants were restored within the park, including 30 Caralluma and 30 Arabian Moringa.
Expert teams from the agency also rehabilitated 55 dwarf palms, which are considered the rarest and most threatened plant in the emirate.
Sheltered areas offer a great opportunity for a family picnic and numerous shaded benches give hikers and cyclists places to sit back and enjoy the views.
Those wanting to extend their stay have several options. Visitors can use the public campsite and spend the night under the stars in their tent, or for an upgraded experience, rent a traditional tent or even a luxury dome.
The specs
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Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
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- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is a rare disease?
A rare disease is classified as one that affects a small percentage of the population. More than 7,000 diseases are identified as rare and most are genetic in origin. More than 75 per cent of rare genetic diseases affect children.
Collectively rare diseases affect 1 in 17 people, or more than 400 million people worldwide. Very few have any available treatment and most patients struggle with numerous health challenges and life-long ailments that can go undiagnosed for years due to lack of awareness or testing.
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Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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HEADLINE HERE
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Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
