Ras al Khaimah is  what it has always been.  It is the least changed of the Emirates.  It is small Emirate, only 1,700 sq km, at the northernmost tip of the  UAE adjoining the Omani region of Mussandum and strategically placed near the Straits of Hormuz.  Ras al khaimah was once a leading port, visited by Marco Polo, and the home of the greatest Arab navigator, Bin Majid.  Its naval power was great enough to drive the British to raze the town to the ground three times.  It fiercely contests the allegation that it was involved in piracy.

The town provides a fascinating glimpse of how life must have been throughout the whole UAE only a few decades ago.  Fishing continues in the old way (albeit with some government subsidy0 and one can sit on the beach and watch fishermen mending  their  nets and wire mesh fish traps.  And of course one can buy fish at the local suq; over 100 types of fish thrive in the Gulf. Agriculture is still important because much of the Emirate enjoys natural irrigation from rain falling on the mountains.

To people from other Emirates, Ras al Khaimah means greenery.  There is an abundance of grass, bushes and trees, which flourish without artificial assistance.  The stark brown hajar Mountains provide a dramatic backdrop to this greenery.  The natural feel of the area is enhanced by the number of assorted animals walking beside or across the road; goats, cows, sheep, camels and dogs.

 While not poor, Ras al Khaimah has none of the oil wealth of bigger Emirates.  It is, however, the richest in  terms of archaeological interest, and excavations in the area have provided evidence of civilization up to 5,000 years old.  The major discoveries have been very recent, and work is continuing.  A second millennium settlement and tombs have been found at Shimal. Another tomb from the same period has been excavated in Ghalilah.  Ras al Khaimah fort has become a museum and now hoses many  of the finds which have been painstakingly reconstructed.  The now abandoned village of Jazirat al Hamra remains intact near the sand dunes of  the  coast, and provides the best example in the country of what traditional village life must have been like during the past  few centuries.