Wadi Wurayah lies in the Hajar mountains north of Fujairah city, between the coast and the interior, and is one of the few places in the United Arab Emirates with permanent flowing water. It was declared a protected area and developed as the country's first national mountain park, and it is also a Ramsar wetland site.
Why it is unusual
The wadi carries water year-round because its catchment in the high mountains receives more rain than the coast and because the geology traps and releases groundwater slowly through springs and pools. This permanent water supports a plant and animal community that has disappeared elsewhere in the country: dragonflies, amphibians, freshwater fish and a range of plants that require constant moisture, alongside the mountain species of the Hajar range.
Wildlife and research
The area has been the subject of survey work by environment authorities and universities, and species new to the country have been recorded there. It supports the Arabian tahr and other mountain mammals, and the pools and vegetation provide habitat for birds and reptiles.
Visiting
Access is controlled, and entry to the protected core requires permission; guided walks are arranged through the authorities. Visitors must keep to routes, carry out all waste, take nothing from the wadi and avoid lighting fires. Flash flooding in the wadi is a genuine hazard and the area should be avoided when rain is forecast in the mountains.