Al Jazirah Al Hamra Heritage Village, Ras Al Khaimah
Note: Al Jazirah Al Hamra hosts Ras Al Khaimah Art (formerly the RAK Fine Arts Festival) each winter, typically running from January into February or March. The festival turns the historic village into an open-air exhibition, with visual art, installations, guided tours, film screenings and live performances set among the old fort and traditional houses.
Al Jazirah Al Hamra is the last largely intact traditional pearling and fishing village remaining in the UAE. Established in the late 16th century by the Za’ab tribe on what was then a tidal island, the settlement grew into a community of more than 2,000 people by the early 20th century before being gradually abandoned from 1968 onwards, as residents moved to larger cities following the discovery of oil.
Today the village preserves narrow streets, coral-stone houses, mosques and wind-tower architecture largely as they were left, offering a rare and atmospheric window into pre-oil Emirati life. Since 2010, the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Department of Antiquities and Museums, Ras Al Khaimah, have worked with local and international experts to preserve the site.
Entry is free, and the site can be explored independently or with a guided tour from local operators. Visitors should bring water and wear comfortable shoes, as the site has little shade and some structures are fragile.
Amenities
Free Admission · Open-Air Heritage Site · Traditional Coral-Stone Architecture · Guided Tours Available · Annual Art Festival · Parking · Restrooms · Family Friendly
Contact Information
