Al Ain Oasis

The historic oasis sprawls across 3,000-acre and provides a unique insight into the region’s inhabitants who began taming the desert 4,000 years ago. The Al Ain Oasis has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011, but only now, with the construction of an educational Eco-Centre and an extensive system of shaded pathways that wind through some 147,000 date palms, is it open to the public.  The site houses up to 100 different varieties of vegetation that surround the impressive oasis, with widespread plantations that are also working farms.

The site is shaped by a complex shared water supply, based on both wells and ‘falaj’, the UAE’s traditional irrigation system. Al Ain Oasis has plenty of working examples of the falaj that have been used for centuries to tap into underground wells. Through a series of immersive interactive exhibits, the Eco-Centre highlights the measures being taken to preserve the delicate oasis ecosystem and celebrate the invaluable contribution of Al Ain’s oasis farmers through a continued showcase of traditional farming methods.