Fujairah is Fog Free While UAE is Blanketed in Smog

A report today states that a major fog (which is a euphemism for smog) has blanketed much of the United Arab Emirates, disrupting flight schedules, causing hazards on the roads (where visibility is in some places down to 100 metres) and, one could also add, increasing the health risks for residents and tourists.

At this time Fujairah has escaped the blanket of smog, probably due in part to it being shielded by the Hajar Mountains that create a ‘smog screen’ for low lying air pollutants and also due to the coastal breezes rolling in from the Indian Ocean.

Such an escape from smog bolsters Fujairah and the East Coast’s reputation of being 100% natural and a place where one can breathe in more deeply than in the other emirates.

Sadly, this is not always the experience of the locals. Fujairah has its own problems with dust from the quarries. When the winds are blowing the wrong way, Fujairah residents can see the thick particles in the air and many complain of sore eyes and throats. It is a common experience of those new to Fujairah, before eyes, noses and throats have had a chance to acclimatize.

Check out where the UAE ranks in air quality and ponder the relationship between pollution, health and why the major cities of the UAE rank only at 58 in the world for Quality of Living.

To check out weather comparisons between UAE cities and forecasts see:
Fujairah Weather

Smog Report:
‘Foggy Days’, Gulf News, 14 November 2007.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: The two photos displayed were taken recently within an hour of each other on the road between Dubai and Fujairah. The first photo of the polluted sky was taken twenty minutes after leaving the Dubai International Airport, on the road near the Sharjah Scout Camp. The second was taken at Masafi, looking towards the Hajar Mountains and Fujairah’s purer air.