In his 2021 book The Exile of the Water Diviner, Omani writer Zahran Alqasmi wrote about a man employed by a village to track down the underground springs hidden deep in the Earth. In his quest, and while digging a water channel, or falaj, it collapses on him.
As he struggles to stay alive, the water diviner recalls his relationship with water. Both his parents died by drowning, but water has also given him a job, a purpose. Through examining the life of the water diviner, Alqasmi contemplates on the importance of these water channels for villages, and how they helped improve the conditions of those who resided around them.
Our Arabic word of the week is falaj, which translates to water channel. The term is most commonly used in the UAE and Oman. In its plural, it becomes aflaj.
Such channels work by extracting water from underground wadis and wells by digging out deep channels. Gravity then does its work, and the water flows through the system without the need for mechanical pumps. It provides a constant flow of water through the oasis that increases in capacity during heavy rain.
The famous Al Ain aflaj system is thought to be one of the region’s oldest, having been in existence for about 3,000 years. It was restored by UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in 1946. Popular oases can be found in Al Ain’s Hili, Bida bint Saud, Thugaiban, Al Madam and Jabeeb.
In Oman, the aflaj irrigation systems are ancient water channels dating back to circa 500AD, found in the Dakhiliyah, Sharqiyah and Batinah regions. They are part of a much older tradition of irrigation known as qanat or kariz, which began in Persia about 5,000 years ago.
In 2006, five Omani aflaj were added to the Unesco list of World Heritage Sites: Falaj Al-Khatmeen, Falaj Al-Malki, Falaj Daris, Falaj Al-Mayassar and Falaj Al-Jeela.
The UAE emirate of Umm Al Quwain has an oasis town called Falaj Al Mualla, located 30km from the city. It was formerly known as Falaj Al Ali after the Al Ali tribe, who moved here from Sinniyah Island due to a water shortage.
The town is known for its historic fort and three watchtowers, built around 1825 by Umm Al Quwain's then ruler Abdullah bin Rashid Al Mualla, along with a bathing house from the same period.
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The area continues to remain fertile thanks to its aflaj system, supported by aquifers from the Hajar Mountains. It has long been a farming hub, with about 60 families cultivating 5,000 date palms. It also houses the UAE’s first poultry farm and was part of an agricultural trial station established in 1955.
