It’s Time for the New Date Roundabout in Fujairah

Fujairah is a city of roundabouts which each symbolize the essence of the way of life lived in this north-eastern emirate—the coffee pot, the perfume dispenser, the falcon and more.

It’s been said that fishing and agriculture are the twin pillars upon which Fujairah was traditionally built.

A fish roundabout stands appropriately on Fujairah’s Corniche Road but the city lacks a roundabout that reminds people of the essential importance of agriculture.

Location
So why not a date roundabout located at the roundabout that connects the suburbs of Al Owaid and Old Fujairah?

This is the roundabout nearby the large date farms on either side of Al Nakheel Road.

View Suggested Location for Date Roundabout in a larger map

Design
The roundabout already boasts half a dozen mature palm trees that bear dates each year.

Roundabout architecture stylishly created in the form of a cluster of ripe dates may complete the circular area and make it look like a Fujairah wadi.

In addition to becoming the only roundabout that brings to mind Fujairah agriculture, the proximity to the Faseel coffee pot roundabout suggesting coffee and dates, would evoke a myriad of sweet memories about daily hospitality and iftar meals at Ramadan.

International Date Line
There would be a certain timeliness in establishing a date roundabout in Fujairah as soon as possible, as in November of this year (22nd to 27th), the UAE is hosting the Fourth International Date Festival.

This will be a conference that will give people the chance to taste hundreds of varieties of dates, sample innovative date recipes, take cooking classes that use dates, discover the history behind the national fruit and learn how the palm tree has been used in Emirati culture.

Something More
This date conference in Abu Dhabi and its interactive activities suggests something more that would benefit Fujairah life and tourism—a date farm (down Al Nakheel Rd?) where people could visit to learn about the importance of dates in the history and in the contemporary life of those living in the Emirates.

The Big Date
You’ve heard of The Big Pineapple in Queensland and The Big Banana in New South Wales?

The Big Date in Fujairah, developed as an interactive, hands-on centre (not a dating service) could become an effective educational centre as well as a powerful tourist magnet.

Take a Look
Some photos related to this article on the proposal of a New Date Roundabout in Fujairah can be found at this link.

Further
Discover What Fujairah is about from its Roundabouts, FIF, 3 September 2010.
Fishing Lures People to Fujairah and Still They’re Getting Hooked, FIF, 14 September 2010.

Related
Going on a Date in Fujairah, FIF, 9 June 2009.
Make a date to come to Fujairah for the harvest, Fujairah in Focus, 18 June 2009.

Date fruit wisdom, Experiencing the Emirates, 9 September 2009.
Stop off for ‘the finest dates in all of Arabia’ on your way to Fujairah, Experiencing the Emirates, 6 September 2009.
UAE: Home to 40 million date palm trees, Experiencing the Emirates, 25 February 2008.
UAE is growing like a date palm, Experiencing the Emirates, 29 November 2007.

Even UAE dates must wear burqas, Experiencing the Emirates, 23 May 2007.

Geoff Pound

Image: “So why not a date roundabout located at the roundabout that connects the suburbs of Al Owaid and Old Fujairah?”