Now that Al Ain Oasis is open to the public as the country’s first Unesco World Heritage Site, it is time to consider its vast educational and tourism potential.
The oasis is spread over 1,200 hectares and contains more than 147,000 date palms of about 100 varieties going back more than 4,000 years. It irrigated one of the world’s oldest permanently inhabited settlements through the traditional aflaj system that has been used for centuries to tap into fresh water and demonstrated an early drive towards sustainability.
The site represent the Emirati people’s ability to overcome the challenges of a harsh natural environment and to develop unique achievements in human subsistence, agriculture and irrigation – lessons that remain relevant to this day.
Now that the weather is cooling down, we should all make a date to visit the oasis and encourage others to see for themselves and understand what is important to us and what we want to conserve.
