An oasis is typically an isolated green area in a desert surrounding water sources which aid in the growth of vegetation. The presence of oases also helps create a suitable living environment for animals and humans.
Al Ain has been blessed with many oases, which lends it a different way of living within a desert. The main oases are:
Al Ain Oasis: The city of Al Ain owes its name to this oasis which is supposedly has been cultivated for several thousand years. Per official sources, this 3000 acre site contains over 147,000 date palms and also fruit bearing trees like mangoes, oranges, bananas, figs etc. This vast area is divided into several grids and the orchard is irrigated through ‘aflaj’, an indigenous system of water channels. The oasis is a surreal place to stand in – it is extremely difficult to imagine such a shady respite filled with trees of different variety in stark contrast to the normal desert views. Inside the oasis there are remains of an old fortification, an old mosque and bed of the Wadi Sooraj.
Al Muatared Oasis: This oasis occupies nearly 500,000 square metres and contains thousands of palm trees and other trees like lemon trees, mango trees, acacia and tamarisk irrigated by al Muatared falaj (under ground water channel). Historical buildings can be seen here.
Al Jimi Oasis: Al Jimi oasis not only provides specimens of different kinds of flora, but is also significant from a historical perspective due to the restored buildings. In addition to palm trees, other native trees having medicinal properties, such as sidr and ghaf can also be seen here.
Other oases such as Al Qattara Oasis and Al Hili Oasis can also be seen in Al Ain.