The oasis city of Al A  in, part of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, deserves special mention because of its uniqueness.  It is 160 kilometers inland from the capital, deep in the desert  and close to the Omani mountains.  Although not as large as the coastal cities, it has special significance for Emirates.  It is  the heartland of the country.  His  Highness president Sheikh Zayed was born  there and learnt the arts of government there; he retains a special interest in its development, and for a while it had the distinction of being the fastest growing city in the Middle East.  Many members of the ruling family live there, or nearby.  Battles have been fought over it, and it still inspires passionate loyalty.  It  was the obvious home for the University of the  UAE.

The  Agricultural Department of  the  University has been  very active in pursuing research into desert farming.  It  has assisted the government in its policy of “greening” Al Ain, and  the result today is quite remarkable.  The many six-lane  roads of the city (and most of the road to the capital0 are lined with grass, bushes and trees. There are several parks, and farms which are experimenting and developing desert-hardy produce.  Al Ain is a showcase of what can be done in the hottest of deserts.

As the major oasis in the area, it has always attracted human settlements.  By around 3,000 BC people had settled here and the remains of their graves can be seen on Jebel Hafit, which overlooks the modern city.  Jebel Hafit has been the site of some exciting recent discoveries.  It is an amazing phenomenon to look at from the outside, but it now seems that the inside of the mountain is catacombed with passageways, somewhat reminiscent of the pyramids.  Tourists  with some potholing  experience can hire an expert guide and explore these mysterious caverns.

At nearby Hili, a virtually intact Iron Age village has been discovered under the ochre sand dunes.  Today Hili is the site of a family recreation  park called Fun City, complete with zoo and public gardens. Al Ain lies on a south-west trade route and excavations suggest that is has been occupied continuously from that time until now.  Artefacts from Mesopotamia and Oman are evidence of the extent of its trade links.  The area has also been the site of many wars and rumours of war; hence the many forts, of which Jahili fort is the most complete and impressive.  Tourists normally need a visa and a road pass to enter the neighboring country of  Oman.  However, beyond Hili they  can enter the Omani town of Al Buraimi, which adjoins Al Ain, without these documents and so make a longer excursion for the weekend.