Its lush valleys, leafy winding lanes and quaint architecture have long offered a refreshing escape from the hustle and bustle of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Change has been slow in coming to Al Ain, the garden city of the UAE and the birthplace of the late Sheikh Zayed, with its population of just over 600,000.
But the Urban Planning Council (UPC) and international experts who helped design Abu Dhabi's 2030 development strategy have ambitious plans to revamp the sleepy retreat. They also have their sights on a similar facelift for Al Gharbia.
Many people in Al Ain are delighted by the prospect of modern development bringing their city into the 21st century, but some fear it may prove a double-edged sword for the historic site and its heritage.
Although many residents of Al Ain have not heard of the plans afoot to dictate the future development of the city, they are keenly aware of subtle indications that presage big changes to come, and some are concerned about them.
Details of the development plan have yet to be disclosed, but there are already emerging symptoms of growth, such as a recent spike in prices caused partly by an influx of people from other cities in the UAE who have come to Al Ain for its lower living costs.
Residents have noticed a lot more vehicles in car parks recently, although double parking has not yet begun clogging side streets.
Congestion at roundabouts has increased, even if it is more manageable than Abu Dhabi traffic, and pedestrians are spending more time waiting at pedestrian crossings than before. But they do so patiently as more cars with Dubai licence plates crowd the boulevards of the oasis city.
A major push to develop the city "could be good and bad," said Mahmoud Ibrahim, 28, a salesperson for a mobile phone company, when asked what he thought about the development plans.
Mr Ibrahim's revenues have tripled in recent months thanks to an influx of Western tourists and new residents from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, both about 150km away. He said more development and tourism would be a financial plus, especially if managed in an orderly way.
But he expressed anxiety about what else development might bring and feared that growing numbers of people and cars on the narrow streets could invite the same headaches that have plagued other cities in the UAE - including traffic jams, road construction and noise.
"It takes me five or 10 minutes to get anywhere from inside the city," Mr Ibrahim said.
"To get to Dubai from Sharjah, though, it can take up two hours."
The UPC plans are coinciding with a multitude of projects that will break new ground in the city and surrounding areas and should bring crowds of tourists.
Al Ain Zoo will undergo a major expansion from 45 hectares to 900 that will transform the base of Jebel Hafeet into a large wildlife park and residential area.
The iconic mountain, which towers over the city's horizon, may also host new indoor ski slopes that would line its escarpment with nearly 337,000 square metres of air-conditioned snow and ski jumps.
If approved, the unusual ski destination could be flanked by hotels, a theme park, a golf course and shopping mall on the pristine mountain.
For Abdullah, 25, an owner of Al Raisi, a small boutique that sells traditional Gulf clothing for men, the prospect of more people and business coming to Al Ain is welcome.
But he also fears a rapid influx of people could choke the city centre and destroy its relaxed atmosphere.
"We need more hotels, of course, but they should be built outside the city," Abdullah said. His main concern is that the municipality should build housing for labourers outside the city's residential areas as they were already starting to crowd living spaces.
"This is a big problem," Abdullah said. "This city has been a calm, peaceful city. There is space to walk here and Inshallah, we hope it will stay that way."
Soi, a 38-year-old Filipino working at Al Ain's Intercontinental Hotel, said the city was special because it was different. "Dubai is a lot like Manila, full of traffic and very expensive. People like this place, and the reason I like it here is because it's green and because it's not like Dubai and Abu Dhabi."
It is still unclear, however, whether the UPC plans entail a dramatic facelift for the quaint city centre where streets are lined with boutiques selling homemade perfumes, traditional Gulf clothing and wide assortments of Arabic sweets and spices.
Nathan Alexander, an Australian director of UPC, seemed to suggest in an article that development would create a more densely populated city.
Part of the thinking behind the Al Ain development plan that is being drafted was about "avoiding more sprawl and instead creating greater density in the existing city area", he said.
Al Ain is bidding to be included on the list of Unesco's world heritage sites, which residents hope will preserve the region's charm, and efforts are already under way to preserve the city and its surrounding areas.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, issued a decree in 2005 ordering the preservation of the city's oases from developers. Meanwhile Al Ain Municipality stated its intention in its strategic plan launched in May to retain the city's Arab architecture.
"When people come to Al Ain, we know they want to see the real authentic Arabic city that has its own flavour and its own aroma," said Awad al Darmaki, the municipality general manager.
@Email:hnaylor@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
FIGHT CARD
Bantamweight Hamza Bougamza (MAR) v Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Catchweight 67kg Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) v Fouad Mesdari (ALG)
Lighweight Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) v Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)
Catchweight 73kg Mostafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) v Yazid Chouchane (ALG)
Middleweight Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) v Badreddine Diani (MAR)
Catchweight 78kg Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Adnan Bushashy (ALG)
Middleweight Sallaheddine Dekhissi (MAR) v Abdel Emam (EGY)
Catchweight 65kg Rachid Hazoume (MAR) v Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG)
Lighweight Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 79kg Omar Hussein (PAL) v Souhil Tahiri (ALG)
Middleweight Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Laid Zerhouni (ALG)
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
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
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MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
Poacher
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Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
