☰Fujairah

Fujairah's beaches face the Gulf of Oman, which means warmer, clearer water than the Persian Gulf side. Most of the best stretches are attached to resort hotels — you will need to be a guest to use them. The standout is the strip near Al Aqah, where Snoopy Island sits just offshore and the snorkelling is excellent. Public options exist but are limited, so check access before you pack the towels. Bring high-SPF sunscreen and remember that drinking alcohol on public beaches is illegal throughout the UAE.

Fujairah does not feature heavily in literature, but a few books help set the context for the wider UAE and Gulf region.

City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism by Jim Krane (2009) is the definitive account of how the Gulf's fishing settlements became global cities within a single generation. Krane focuses on Dubai but the forces he describes shaped Fujairah and every other emirate equally — it is essential reading for understanding what the UAE actually is.

Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger (1959) covers the author's crossings of the Empty Quarter in the 1940s, but also his time among the Trucial sheikhs and the Bedouin of the region that would become the UAE. The landscape and the people Thesiger describes are recognisable in Fujairah's mountains and wadis even today.

The Zanzibar Chest by Aidan Hartley (2003) is not about Fujairah specifically, but Hartley spent formative years in the wider Arabian Gulf and the book's account of the region's rapid transformation frames what it means to visit a place that went from fishing village to city-state within a lifetime.

Fujairah sits close enough to the rest of the UAE that a day trip can take you from mountain wadis to Dubai's shopping malls in a couple of hours. The Hajar Mountains start right outside the city, and the wadis — dry riverbeds that cut through the rocky landscape — make for excellent day hikes. Wadi Siji, Wadi Mai, and Wadi Saham are all within easy driving distance. Dubai is about two hours west by car if you want a contrast of skyscrapers and designer shops, and the desert safari operations based there offer half-day and overnight dune trips.

Fujairah's food scene is modest but genuine. Indian and Arabic cuisines dominate, from biryani houses in the city centre to hotel restaurants along the beach serving fresh seafood with ocean views. Small cafes near the souqs are worth a stop for spiced tea and local dishes. Western fast food is available but beside the point — you are here for the real thing.

Fujairah is small enough that getting around is straightforward. Taxis are the easiest option for short hops within the city and are readily available. Local buses connect the main areas and run to neighbouring emirates at low cost, though schedules can be infrequent. Walking and cycling are not practical in the city centre — it is built for cars, with limited pedestrian infrastructure. A rental car is the best choice if you want to reach the beaches north of the city, the mountain wadis, or the Masafi Friday Market.

Fujairah has its own airport, but it does not handle commercial passenger flights. Most visitors fly into Dubai International and drive the roughly two hours east along the E88 highway through the Hajar Mountains — a scenic route in its own right. Buses run daily between Dubai, Sharjah, and Fujairah and are cheap and reliable. Taxis from Dubai cost around 100-120 AED for a shared ride. If you plan to explore the wadis and beaches at your own pace, renting a car in Dubai is the most practical option. Note that crossing into Oman requires a separate visa.

Shopping in Fujairah is a low-key affair compared to Dubai's mega-malls. The Masafi Friday Market on the Dubai-Fujairah highway is the highlight — a roadside market selling handcrafted rugs, pottery, and souvenirs where bargaining is expected and prices can drop steeply. In town, the Fujairah Night Souq has over a hundred shops open late into the evening, with a small amusement park attached. The currency is the Emirati dirham; most vendors negotiate, and you can often get 30 percent or more off the asking price.

Fujairah's attractions lean toward nature and heritage rather than theme parks and malls. The coastline offers some of the best diving in the UAE, with Snoopy Island the most accessible spot for snorkelling. The Hajar Mountains are threaded with hiking trails along dry wadis, and Wadi Wurayah — the UAE's first mountain national park — shelters freshwater pools and wildlife. Fujairah Fort and the Fujairah Museum give a window into pre-oil life in the region, while Al Bidya Mosque, 50 kilometres up the coast, is the oldest mosque in the UAE.

The best time to visit Fujairah is between October and April, when daytime temperatures hover around 25-30 degrees Celsius and the humidity is manageable. Summer months (June to September) regularly push past 40 degrees with stifling humidity — fine for air-conditioned hotel stays but brutal for hiking or sightseeing.

The Fujairah International Monodrama Festival, held every two years, brings theatre troupes from across the Arab world for staged performances. Islamic holidays — particularly Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan and Eid al-Adha — are celebrated across the emirate with communal feasts and gatherings. During Ramadan itself, expect restaurants to be closed during daylight hours and a quieter pace of life overall.