Emirate guide

Umm Al Quwain

The least developed emirate: mangroves, flamingos and an old fort.

Photo: Sajisahadevan, CC BY-SA 4.0

Umm Al Quwain is the UAE's quietest emirate, with a small old town, a lagoon and mangroves that fill with birds in winter. It is for people who want to see how the lower-key Emirates look, about an hour from Dubai.

Khor Al Beidah

A lagoon and mangrove system along the coast that is home to flamingos and other waterbirds in winter. Kayak and boat tours run in the cooler months.

The old fort and museum

The eighteenth-century fort in the old town now houses a museum with displays on the emirate's heritage and archaeology.

Archaeology

Umm Al Quwain has important prehistoric and ancient sites, including Tell Abraq on the border with Sharjah, which shows settlement from the Bronze Age through the Iron Age.

On this season

Events in Umm Al Quwain

Full calendar

Nov22to 20 Dec

Sport

Mar9to 11

National

Eid Al Fitr 2027 holiday

9 to 11 Mar 2027 · Across the UAE, UAE-wide

Details

Listed

Umm Al Quwain: common questions

What is Umm Al Quwain known for?+

Its mangrove lagoon at Khor Al Beidah, birdlife in winter, the old fort-museum and several archaeological sites.

Nearby

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Part of the Hadath guide to Umm Al Quwain and its neighbours.