Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EAST COAST
Facing the Gulf of Oman, the UAE's eastern coast belongs almost entirely to the emirate of
Fujairah, interrupted only by the three small Sharjah enclaves of Dibba Al-Hisn, Khor
Fakkan and Kalba. Tourism is concentrated north of the town of Khor Fakkan, where the
Hajar Mountains dip down to long, white-sand beaches with excellent swimming and
diving.
South of Khor Fakkan, industry replaces idyll thanks to massive container ports and a
new oil export terminal just outside Fujairah. Nearly two million barrels of oil from fields
in the UAE's western desert arrive here daily via a 370km-long pipeline.
Several archaeological sites, some dating back 4000 years, provide evidence of the
coast's long and turbulent history. The legacy of the Portuguese, who swarmed the area in
the 16th century to control the spice trade, survives in a handful of forts.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
MASAFI MARKET
The road from Dubai towards the eastern coast is strangely desolate, a dune landscape punctuated only by power
poles. A minor roadside attraction is the
Friday Market
(Masafi; 8am-10pm daily) in Masafi, a strip of nearly
identical stalls that's actually open daily. Rugs, pottery, household goods and knick-knacks are for sale, but it's ac-
tually best for stocking up on local produce.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Fujairah City
09 / POP 189,000
The biggest town on the East Coast, Fujairah City is the eponymous emirate's business and
commercial hub. Office buildings line its main strip, Hamad bin Abdullah Rd, while its
northern waterfront is hemmed in by vast fields of circular oil storage containers. Still, the
town is worth stopping in if only to get a sense of Fujairah's past at the restored fort and the
adjacent museum. Local residents are also proud of several new developments: the
massive, gleaming white Sheikh Zayed Mosque, the emirates' first big shopping mall, and
the new (and much faster) Sheikh Khalifa Hwy to Dubai.
