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    Peter Dowley from Dubai, United Arab Emirates / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

    United Arab Emirates

    CityNatureCulture

    Umm al-Qaiwain is the capital of the least populated emirate and lies on the Persian Gulf between Ajman and Ras al-Khaimah. The compact old town lies on a peninsula; at its entrance stands Fort Al Ali with the National Museum.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
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    5. United Arab Emirates
    7. Ajman & Umm al-Qaiwain
    Umm al-Qaiwain is the capital of the least populated emirate and lies on the Persian Gulf between Ajman and Ras al-Khaimah. The compact old town lies on a peninsula; at its entrance stands Fort Al Ali with the National Museum. Beyond it opens the Khor al-Beidah lagoon with mangroves you can explore by kayak, and Siniya Island.

    Sights in

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Umm Al Quwain National Museum
    Museum

    1Umm Al Quwain National Museum

    The National Museum in Fort Al Ali, built 1768, seat of the rulers until 1969, has been publicly accessible since 2000. It displays finds from the ancient site Ed-Dur, tools of fishermen and pearl divers, and a replica pearl diver's boat.
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    Mangrove Beach
    Attraction

    2Mangrove Beach

    The beach at the mangrove lagoon Khor Al Yeefrah has been open to the public since 2020. Here are the chalets of Casa Mikoko with a café and a wooden boardwalk through the mangroves, and the Luxeglamp tent resort, opening in 2025. Casa Mikoko offers kayak tours through the mangroves, along with kitesurfing and SUP. For the most pleasant paddling, go early morning or late afternoon; flamingos are best seen from November to March.
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    Fish Market Umm al-Qaiwain
    Market

    3Fish Market Umm al-Qaiwain

    The fish market is located on the coast in the Al Khor district by the Creek. Among the offerings are shrimp, crabs, lobster, Hamour, Kingfish, and Barracuda. At cleaning counters, you can have your purchases scaled and filleted; at nearby grilling stalls, it will be prepared. You'll find the widest selection early in the morning.
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    Restaurants in

    1

    Wadi Al Neel

    Simply furnished restaurant on King Faisal Road in the Al Riqqah district, serving fish and Middle Eastern dishes, such as Kingfish Majboos, grilled sea bass, and mixed grills.
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    2

    Crab & Crack

    Small seafood restaurant at Al Salamah Market, serving only seafood, such as gratin lobster and grilled squid. Restaurant guides describe it as a popular spot among locals.
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    3

    Bait Al Mandi

    An Arabic restaurant on King Faisal Street, where you sit on the floor in a traditional manner. Mandi and Madhbi made from chicken are served, as well as Haneeth.
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    4

    Mikoko

    Restaurant at Mangrove Beach, decorated in the style of Zanzibar with African motifs. The menu includes, among other things, pizza, burgers, tiramisu, and vegan dishes.
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    Food and drink

    Fish is the city's theme, from the market to the restaurant.

    Fish market at Al Khor

    At the waterfront fish market in the Al Khor district you can have fish, crabs and lobster cleaned and cut at dedicated counters and cooked at grill stalls. The choice is best early in the morning.

    Grilled fish and seafood

    Grilled fish, prawns and calamari are on almost every menu in town.

    Café at Kite Beach

    Kite Beach Center is first of all a kitesurfing school and has a beach café serving breakfast, burgers, pasta and seafood. Beach huts can be rented for several hours, and there is an entry fee for the beach.

    The History and Archaeology

    Ed-DurThe Ed-Dur site, located north of the city, is one of the largest archaeological sites in the Emirates. Its heyday was around the 1st century AD, when it served as the most important coastal port on the southern Gulf. Ed-Dur is on the UNESCO tentative list, and you can see the finds at the National Museum.SiniyaOn the uninhabited island of Siniya, archaeologists unearthed a monastery dating between 534 and 656 AD; the discovery was announced in November 2022. The island also holds the remains of a pearl fishing town from the late 6th or early 7th century. Siniya is home to one of the largest remaining colonies of Socotra cormorants.Ruling FamilyUmm al-Qaiwain is governed by the Al Mualla family and joined the Federation on December 2, 1971. The Al Ali Fort, built in 1768, served as the seat of government until 1969.

    Getting there and around

    Getting thereFrom Sharjah and Ajman you reach Umm al-Qaiwain by car along the coast.On the spotThe fort, museum and old town are close together and easy to explore on foot. Mangrove Beach lies a little outside town; the last ten minutes or so follow a soft sandy track that, according to Gulf News, an ordinary car can manage.

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    Nearby

    Ajman

    Ajman

    Ajman is the capital of the smallest emirate by area, situated on the Persian Gulf north of Sharjah. At its heart is a fort, presumably built in the late 18th century, now the Ajman Museum, just a few steps from the Corniche and Souks. On Ajman Creek is a dhow shipyard, and on the outskirts, the Al Zorah mangrove area.
    Ajman & Umm al-Qaiwain

    Ajman & Umm al-Qaiwain

    This region brings together the two smallest emirates: Ajman, the smallest in area at approximately 260 km², and Umm al-Qaiwain, the least populated. Both are located on the Persian Gulf north of Sharjah and offer forts with museums, mangroves, and quiet beaches.
    Sharjah Emirate

    Sharjah Emirate

    The Emirate of Sharjah is the third-largest of the United Arab Emirates and has coastlines on the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Beyond the capital Sharjah, the emirate includes the Mleiha desert with the UNESCO World Heritage site Faya, and the east coast enclaves of Khor Fakkan, Kalba, and Dibba al-Hisn.
    Sharjah

    Sharjah

    Sharjah is the capital of the namesake emirate and is situated on the Persian Gulf, directly bordering Dubai. The city prides itself as a cultural hub of the Emirates: in 2019, it was UNESCO World Book Capital, and surrounding the restored old town, Heart of Sharjah, are museums and the buildings of the Sharjah Art Foundation. Alcohol is not served in the emirate, even in hotels.
    Ras al-Khaimah

    Ras al-Khaimah

    Ras al-Khaimah is the capital of the eponymous emirate on the Gulf coast in the north of the UAE. An inlet divides it into the Old Town in the west and Al Nakheel in the east, with mangroves growing along its banks. The National Museum, located in the historic fort, Dhayah Fort, and the abandoned pearl fishing village of Al Jazirat al-Hamra tell the story of the Qawasim; to its west lie the hotels of Al Hamra and Al Marjan Island.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Google Maps. Each photo carries its credit.
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