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Located in the eastern region of the Abu Dhabi Emirate, Al Ain is 150 km east of Abu Dhabi city and 140 km south of Dubai. Connected by freeways, these three cities form a geographic triangle in the centre of the country.
Al Ain is the largest inland city in the United Arab Emirates and the second largest city of the Abu Dhabi Emirate. Dubbed the ‘Garden City’, it is surrounded by magnificent red sand dunes that vary in texture and is overlooked by the impressive Hajjar mountain range. The isolated mountain of Jebel Hafeet lies to the south and is shared with Oman. This mountain, an extension to the Hajjar range, has the highest peak in the emirate, measuring 1,240 metres.
Jebel Hafeet contains a number of caves of great archaeological importance, and there is also a cave network in the Hajjar mountains, beyond Buraimi. The largest and most impressive of these cave systems is the Magharet Qasir Hafee, with 450 metres of shafts, passages and chambers reaching to a depth of 96 metres.
The natural oases at Al Ain, together with the oases of Liwa, were the setting for the earliest agricultural settlements in Abu Dhabi. They are still the largest in the emirate and they continue to expand with irrigation.
The Abu Dhabi Emirate has no permanent river, though it has a permanent spring at Ain bu Sukhanah in Al Ain. Short lived seasonal flows of rain water feed the many wadis surrounding the mountain area and occasional waterfalls occur at Jebel Hafeet during winter and immediately after rainfall.
Al Ain’s unique microclimate offers a welcome relief from the humidity of the coastal cities and makes it a popular, refreshing holiday destination. Relative to other emirates in the UAE, the city boasts a highly fertile soil which has encouraged the growth of vast vegetation in the area.
Opened in March 1994, the Al Ain International Airport complements the main facility at Abu Dhabi. Gulf Air, Pakistan International Airlines, Alia Royal Jordanian, Egypt Air, Qatar Airways, Krasnoyarsk Fras Air, Sudan Air, Shaheen Air and Oman Air all operate from this airport.
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