The capital of the emirate boasts no fewer than seven forts, some recently renovated

Located in the northern part of the country, not far from Sharjah and Dubai, Umm Al-Qaiwain is another of the lesser known emirates. Yet with some of the country’s most beautiful natural landscapes, it should not be overlooked. Positioned between Sharjah to the south-west and Ras Al-Khaimah to the north-east, it offers something very different to some of the frenetic developments taking place elsewhere in the UAE.

That said, Umm Al-Qaiwain itself is now beginning to take its first real steps towards development. Traditional occupations such as fishing and date cultivation remain important, but now there is an industry free zone to stimulate more diversified business interests. Important local industries include cement production and a plastics factory.

Umm Al-Qaiwain’s lengthy coastline has some of the finest beaches in the whole of the UAE, and the emirate offers some of the best sailing and bird watching. Sinaiyah Island, for instance, close to the town of Umm Al-Qaiwain, the emirate’s capital, is home to one of the largest colonies of Socotra cormorants in the world.

The untapped potential has certainly been noticed. Leading property group Emaar has registered what this destination has to offer and is engaged in real estate work, in close accord with the government of the emirate. Some impressive architectural ideas and construction more akin to Dubai are now taking shape there.

Emaar’s flagship Umm Al-Qaiwain marina project offers waterfront living along the emirate’s spectacular shoreline. The development, which surrounds a purpose-built marina, will be a vast master-planned waterfront community on the shore of Khor al-Beidah, offering residential villas and apartments to locals and outsiders. Some of the villas with waterfront views will be built on a large island with gated access, while a series of smaller private islands will offer luxury waterfront villas for the UAE’s more discerning residents. In addition, resort and hotel rooms, as well as parks and recreational areas, retail facilities, schools and community centres are planned or under way.

Although this is not new for the UAE it is the first of its kind for Umm Al-Qaiwain, which Emaar describes as a “picture perfect location” with over 14 miles of waterfront.

The town of Umm Al-Qaiwain itself, the emirate’s capital, sits just 30 miles north-east of high tempo Dubai, but offers its own unique attractions – a world away from one of the Middle East’s most dynamic tourist and business centres, yet close enough to feel the effects.

The town’s historical roots are to be seen all over, but there is a clear attempt to embrace modernity with a multi-million dollar aqua park, Dreamland, raising the emirate’s profile within the UAE and the wider regional market.

This is not the only investment in Umm Al-Qaiwain’s tourist potential. Another local playground is the Flamingo Beach Resort, a major water sports destination offering activities from crab hunting and glass bottom boat rides, to snorkelling, diving and fishing.

These leisure ventures are complemented by other development projects as the government maps out a more modern future. The Umm Al-Qaiwain Free Zone, formed in 1998, sits very close to Dubai and the UAE’s other major trading hubs. Known as the Ahmed Bin Rashid Free Zone, it was set up within the confines of the Ahmed Bin Rashid Port. It consists of over 2700 feet of quay wall, 1300 of which can handle ocean-going vessels, and 387,000 square feet of land reserved for light industrial development. Manufacturing, trading and consultancy activities are all permitted within the zone.