The easternmost of the United Arab Emirates, Fujairah[1] is the only Emirate not to have a coastline along the Persian Gulf. It is also the youngest of the Emirates, only becoming independent from Sharjah in 1952.

 

Fujairah city itself is most emphatically not designed for pedestrians, being dominated by main roads. Thankfully, taxis, which have been completely changed to a new fleet of Nissan Altimas and Toyota Camrys, are metered,and start at 3 dirhims during the day (3.50 at night.) are plentiful. In fact, visitors attempting to walk around the city will attract horn tooting from taxi drivers, who seriously cannot believe that anyone would choose to walk.

 

Despite its location, there is very little to see in Fujairah city. The city is a business centre first and foremost, with none of the enticing atmosphere of the other large cities of the UAE.

Of some interest is the fort, located just outside the city itself. The main structure is still undergoing renovations, but visitors may walk around the reasonably large site (for free). Compared to other forts in the UAE, though, Fujairah Fort is a poor cousin; however there is a museum too (closed on fridays) and the reconstruction of the hertiage village is well on its way.

 

While the Indian Ocean is enticingly close, some parts of the beach would not seem to be a good option to swim at. However, the city of Diba which is 30km far from Fujairah city would be a good choice, where you can enjoy the sunny beaches and you can practice any sea activity you like. One more interesting thing to do is that you can make a boat trip to one of many islands that lie in the Gulf of Oman, a really wonderful places to visit and it is a good place for fishing.

All things considered, Fujairah is probably more suited as a base from which to go on excursions to the surrounding areas (most of which are enclaves of Sharjah), rather than doing anything much else. The city is growing in stature as a business destination, particularly where oil is concerned, but tourism remains somehow significantly behind.