Jabal Hafit

Jabal Hafit is a mountain on the border between Abu Dhabi and Oman, rising through layers of pale limestone and accessed by a narrow road with many switchbacks. The pavement winds along the slope and ends at a height where the oasis city of Al Ain and the surrounding plains come into view.

More than five hundred burial sites from the early Bronze Age lie on the lower slopes, showing settled communities that lived here about five thousand years ago. Later, caravan routes used the natural passes at the foot of the massif to move goods between coastal areas and inland settlements.

The name comes from an Arabic word meaning empty mountain, reflecting the bare slopes that glow pale under sunlight. Visitors today see the dry rock faces and narrow switchbacks cutting through the stone, while hikers and cyclists use the steep bends for early morning or evening rides.

Driving the winding road takes around half an hour at a moderate pace, while cyclists need considerably longer depending on fitness. Those who go up early in the morning or late in the evening find cooler temperatures and better views across the plain, while midday sun beats down hard on the rocks.

Inside the mountain lies a branching cave system carved by water over thousands of years, showing formations at different stages of growth. Geologists find marine fossils in the rock faces, proving the area lay under the sea millions of years ago.