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Clockwise, from top: Qasr Al-Muwaiji, the new campus of Abu Dhabi University in the city, Al-Murabba
Fort, Green Mubazzarah, Sheikha Salama Mosque
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Nickname(s): ‫[ل َح ِد ْي َقةٱ َم ِد ْي َنة‬1]

The Garden City[2] (of Abu Dhabi,[3] the UAE[4] or the Gulf)[5][6]

al-ʿAin is located in United Arab Emiratesal-ʿAinal-ʿAin

Location of Al Ain in the UAE

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Coordinates: 24°12′27″N 55°44′41″ECoordinates: 24°12′27″N 55°44′41″E

Country United Arab Emirates

Emirate Abu Dhabi

Municipal region Al-Ain

Subdivisions

Towns and villages

Government

• Type Absolute monarchy

• Ruler's Representative of the Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi Tahnoun bin
Mohammed Al Nahyan

Area

• Total 15,100 km2 (5,800 sq mi)

Elevation 292 m (958 ft)

Population (2017)

• Total 766,936

• Density 51/km2 (130/sq mi)

Time zone UTC+4 (UAE Standard Time)

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Official name Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oases Areas)

Criteria Cultural: iii, iv, v

Reference 1343

Inscription 2011 (35th Session)

Al Ain (Arabic: ‫ل َعيْنٱ‬,ْ al-ʿayn, lit. 'The Spring')[4] is a city in the Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,
on the United Arab Emirates' border with Oman, adjacent to the town of Al-Buraimi. It is the largest
inland city in the Emirates, the fourth-largest city (after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah), and the second-
largest[2] in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The freeways connecting Al-Ain, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai form a
geographic triangle in the country, each city being roughly 130 kilometres (81 mi) from the other two.
Al-Ain is known as the "Garden City" (Arabic: ‫ل َح ِد ْي َقةٱ َم ِد ْي َنة‬,ْ romanized: Madīnat Al-Ḥadīqah, lit. 'City of The
Garden')[1] of Abu Dhabi,[3] the UAE[4] or the Gulf,[5][6] due to its greenery, particularly with regard to
the city's oases,[2] parks, tree-lined avenues and decorative roundabouts, with there being strict height
controls on new buildings, to no more than seven floors,[8] and according to one author, an oasis
around Al-Ain and Al-Hasa in Saudi Arabia are the most important in the Arabian Peninsula.[9] That said,
the region of Al-Ain and Al-Buraimi, altogether Tawam[10] or Al-Buraimi Oasis,[7] is of cultural and
historical importance.[11] For example, the area witnessed events relevant to the history of Islam during
the Rashidun, Umayyad and Abbasid eras, similar to Dibba and Ras Al-Khaimah.[12] It was where Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the United Arab Emirates, spent much of his life, at least
since 1927, before becoming the Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1966. Though it is often held that
he was born in Abu Dhabi,[10][13][14] some hold the view that he was born in Al-Ain.[5][15] Al-Ain may
also be the site of the oldest mosque in the country, in the premises of the Sheikh Khalifa
Mosque.[16][17]
Al Ain is located approximately 160 kilometres (99 mi) east of the
capital Abu Dhabi, and about 120 kilometres (75 mi) south of
Dubai.[20] The eastern region covers an area of approximately
13,100 km2 (5,100 sq mi). Oman lies to the east, Dubai and
Sharjah to the north, Abu Dhabi to the west and the Empty
Quarter desert and Saudi Arabia to the south. The topography of
Al-Ain is unique and varies as one travels to the east. The
ecologically important Jebel Hafeet ("Mount Hafeet"),[21] an
outlier of the main Hajar range, is considered one of the
monuments of Al-Ain, lying just to the south of the city. Rising to
1,100–1,400 metres (0.68–0.87 miles) in elevation,[2][22][23]
Jabal Hafeet is one of the highest mountains in the country,[3]
and has a number of ridges which stretch to the inner part of the
city, two of which are Jabal An-Naqfah[24][25][26] (which touches
Al-Ain Oasis),[18][27] and the Western ridge.[28][29] Sand dunes
of varying texture that are tinged red with iron oxide lie to the
north and east of Al-Ain.
The city's oases are known for their underground irrigation
system (falaj[50] or qanāt) that brings water from
boreholes to water farms and palm trees. Falaj irrigation is
an ancient system dating back thousands of years, and is
used widely in Oman, the UAE, China, Iran and other
countries.[51][52] There are seven oases here. The
largest is Al Ain Oasis,[53][54][55] near Old Sarooj, and
the smallest is Al-Jahili Oasis. The rest are Al Qattara, Al-
Muʿtaredh, Al-Jimi, Al-Muwaiji, and Hili.[4]
Examples of aflaj include Falaj Hazza, which is named
after Sheikh Zayed's elder brother, Hazza bin Sultan Al
Nahyan, and has a district named after it.[7]