Step into the Past with the Opening of the New Season at Al Ain’s Jebel Hafit Desert Park

29 Oct, 2020

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced that Al Ain’s Jebel Hafit Desert Park will reopen to visitors on 1 November 2020, with the Park’s new season season running through April 2021. Officially launched in February 2020, Abu Dhabi’s newest cultural and outdoor adventure attraction, located at the foot of Jebel Hafit mountain, offers guests a thrilling mix of history, culture, and stunning natural landscapes.

Among the key attractions at Jebel Hafit Desert Park are its 5,000-year-old ‘beehive’ tombs, some of the most famous archaeological remains in the UAE, which attest to the rich history and ancient habitation of the area. The Park also offers beautiful natural surroundings for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy, with the Park stretching through nine kilometres of captivating terrain around the base of Jebel Hafit, one of the highest mountains in the UAE.

“To visit Jebel Hafit Desert Park is to travel through thousands of years of Emirati history,” said HE Saood Al Hosani, Acting Undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi. “This landmark offers a fascinating insight into the UAE’s unique heritage and is complemented with a range of outdoor activities suitable for visitors of all ages and abilities, allowing for exploration of surrounding areas notable not only for their beauty but for their significant biodiversity. Guests can visit for the day or take a longer break and stay overnight at the Park’s onsite camping to fully experience its cultural facilities. There is something for everyone at this unique attraction, and I encourage families, history buffs and nature enthusiasts to visit our World Heritage Site and discover the beauty of Jebel Hafit Desert Park for themselves.”

In line with DCT Abu Dhabi’s mandate to protect and preserve the cultural heritage of the UAE, Jebel Hafit Desert Park was conceived to protect and preserve the rich biodiversity, archaeology and cultural landscape of the area. The Park’s cultural and natural features are of international importance, being one of the Cultural Sites of Al Ain that make up the UAE’s first designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site has also been given National Park status, and declared as Jebel Hafit National Park Reserve pursuant to Amiri Decree 21 of 2017.

The “Outstanding Universal Value” of the Al Ain World Heritage Site resides in the significance of the sites providing “exceptional testimony to the development of successive prehistoric cultures in a desert region, from the Neolithic to the Iron Age”. The Jebel Hafit Desert Park area has proven to be exceptionally significant, with excavation work here unearthing invaluable evidence into how the inhabitants of the region lived in past millennia.

Visitors to Jebel Hafit Desert Park have a wide choice of activities, ranging from independent or guided hikes around archaeological remains to cycling the bike tracks, riding on a horse or a camel, or touring the area in a buggy. Guests of all ages and activity levels will be given an unforgettable and adventurous experience.

Three shelters within the grounds are perfect spots for a picnic, while numerous shaded benches give hikers and cyclists places to sit back and enjoy the views. Those wanting to extend their stay have several options. Visitors can use the public campsite and spend the night under the stars in their own tent, or for an upgraded experience, rent a traditional tent or even a luxury dome.

Jebel Hafit Desert Park is operated by Barari Natural Resources, the environmental management organisation that conserves and manages forests and nature reserves across the emirate of Abu Dhabi, including Sir Bani Yas Island and Telal Resort.

For more information about Jebel Hafit Desert Park, and to book your visit, please go to https://visitabudhabi.ae/ae-en/default.aspx or www.jebelhafitdesertpark.ae.