Jebel Hafeet

Published on : 2025 - Jan - 18

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Features information that is relevant to travellers who are thinking about and actively planning a visit Dubai or any part of the Arab World.

Jebel Hafeet mountain
Jebel Hafeet mountain

Jebel Hafeet (variously transcribed Jabal, Jabel or Jebal and Hafit or Hafeet) literally means “empty mountain”. This is the only mountain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and one of the highest mountains in the UAE. An extensive natural cave system winds through Jabal Hafeet. The mountain is part of a national desert park, called “Jebel Hafeet National Park”. The park includes the Hafit Graves, Mezyad Fort, and related oases.

Jebel Hafeet offers a breathtaking view of the Rub’ al-Khali, the largest sand desert in the world, and the city of Al Ain, an oasis included in the UNESCO World Heritage lists.

When to visit and where to eat

It is best to visit the Jebel Hafeet in the summer months, that is, from April to September. Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet hotel is located atop the mountain. It offers 3 restaurants and 3 swimming pools with water slides. A blend of French, Moroccan and Italian food is served at Le Belvedere and oriental food can be tasted at the Orient Café.

History from Jebel Hafeet

In UAE history, the period from 3200 to 2600 BCE (Bronze Age), is called Hafit Period, named after this mountain. A cluster of important Bronze Age beehive tombs were discovered at the foothills of this mountain. This mountain region was incorporated into the Sheikh Zayed Network of Protected Areas in 2018. The excavations found evidence for ceramic vessels and copper artifacts in these tombs. Other objects found in the tombs include ceramics from Mesopotamia, and artifacts from ancient Iran and the Indus Valley of present-day India and Pakistan, indicating the trading relationships in antiquity. Most of the archaeological finds from this area can be seen in the museums of Al Ain.

Jebel Hafeet tombs
Jebel Hafeet tombs

At the foot of Jebel Hafeet lies a tourist attraction with hot springs and a lake. To the northeast is the mountain’s largest wadi(valley), Wadi Tarabat.

Hafeet Mountain Road

The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road, built in 1980, is 11.7 km long and leads to the top of the mountain. It has 60 turns and three lanes (two climbing and one descending). Abu Dhabi Tour, an annual road cycling competition is held on this road. You will get the entire view of the Al Ain city sprawling beneath it from the top of the mountain. On top of the mountain there is a vast parking lot. Since 2018, barbecuing in the mountain area has been banned, but there are dedicated spots for barbecuing in Jebel Hafeet Park for campers.

Jebel Hafeet mountain road
Jebel Hafeet mountain road

Jebel Hafeet Tombs Al Ain

On the eastern side of the mountain there are several ancient burial sites of the people who are believed to have been inhabited the oasis. These tombs were built 5000 years ago at the beginning of the bronze age. The artifacts dug out from here prove the trade links with Mesopotamia and India.

The tombs found here are called ‘beehive tombs’ because of their unique hexagonal shape. A team of danish archeologists first discovered these tombs, thereafter, many more experts came to study the site from different parts of the world. Today, Jebel Hafeet tombs are one of the most visited tourist places in Al Ain.

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