Oil Slicks Affect Fujairah Tourism

Much mention has been made of the far too frequent oil slicks that have washed up on Fujairah beaches, causing hotels to close their beaches and diving companies to shut while they clean up.

If readers want to see how oil slicks affect tourism on the personal level here is an excerpt from a blog posting written today (8 June 2008) by an American family living in Abu Dhabi:

“Yesterday I ended up reading the new English-language newspaper that just came out here. It’s called The National and I learned so much about some things that are going on here. Like a huge issue [here is the article] they are having with ships dumping oily waste into the Gulf and the beaches of Fujairah are often streaked with oil. They haven’t even caught one dumper yet because the ships venture out beyond the reach of the UAE Coast Guard and dump. Basically the consensus is “don’t swim in the water”, but that doesn’t seem like an acceptable solution to a huge environmental problem. I tried to imagine reading the same story, but the oil being on the beaches of San Diego and practically laughed out loud at such an absurd thought. But it isn’t just because we keep all of our environmentalists in San Francisco, and they’d be there in a few hours to protest such mayhem. It’s because we have agencies and checks in place to prevent such a thing from happening… We were talking about heading up to Fujairah one of these weekends to hang out on the beaches at a resort; now I am beginning to rethink that.”

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Photo from an article on oil slicks in different parts of the world.

Search and You Will Find

I sometimes get asked the question:

“Where is that article about the Shisha Café or the one on Oil Slicks or info on Fishing and Diving?”

Archives
You can go through the Archives of this site looking for a title that looks like the one.

Search Function
You can try using the ‘Search Blog’ at the top left of the site (if it is in English) or the top right (if it is in Arabic).

Put in your key word into the box—‘Shisha’, ‘Slicks, ‘Spills’ ‘Fishing’ or whatever.

It is generally effective and the fastest way to track down what you are looking for.

Give it a go now if you have not tried the Search Blog function.

Ask
And if your issue is a U2 challenge—“I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”—then send me an email.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: Search and you will find.

Fujairah Exports Shisha Café to USA

At a time when restrictions are being imposed on Shisha smoking in the United Arab Emirates a Fujairah-inspired ‘Hookah House’ is hubba-bubbling along in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

The Hendersonville Epicurean, which writes about all things foody in the area, gives the opening hours of Hookah House, posts some photos of the establishment, tells the story of its origins and offers the reviewer’s impressions. Here is a taster:

“Owners Allison and Kevin have worked hard to re-open after moving from the other side of Main Street. Their goal is to provide a welcoming space for all ages (during the day) and adults at night.”

“Kevin was introduced to shisha while stationed in the Persian Gulf. Living in Fujairah, a city in the UAE — The United Arab Emirates — he observed that the hookah provided a venue for social interaction.”

“At about 10 o'clock at night the merchants would close their shops and bring their couches and tables into the street,” he recalled. “They would bring out their hookahs and board games and sit there for hours — till two or three in the morning — playing backgammon, drinking coffee, talking and sharing the shisha. “It's really not about smoking,” Kevin continued. “It's about fellowship — a medium to bring people together for relaxation and conversation. That's what we've tried to maintain here in the Hookah House. It's Americanized in terms of the decor, but we've tried to create an atmosphere that's conducive to that sense of community — to get people away from the big screen TV to where they are sitting there, face to face, and relating to each other as human beings.”

There are more personal impressions of the Hendersonville Hookah experience at this link.

Sharing the Shisha Experience
Another, review of the Hendersonville Hookah House, with more detail for Americans on shisha smoking and how they are finding the experience can be found at: Sharing the Shisha, Bold Life, 1 July 2007.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: Sharing the Shisha in USA, courtesy of Bold Life.

Flights between Fujairah and Philippines Launched

The first twice-a-week chartered flight of Transglobal Airways aircraft with 160 passengers took off this morning from the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in the Philippines to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president and chief executive officer Victor Jose Luciano said the inaugural Clark-Fujairah flight made a technical stop in Dhaka, Bangladesh before proceeding to Fujairah in the UAE which is only an hour from Dubai.

He said Transglobal Airways has already invested some $10 million for such flights and is prepared to invest another $10 million amid plans to expand operations at the DMIA.

Source: Philippine Star, 6 June 2008.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: Transglobal Airways plane.

Fujairah’s Wadi Wonderland

Xpress News, 5 June 2008, gives a progress report on the three year conservation project at Fujairah’s Wadi Wuraya. See article written at the project’s commencement.

Located in the emirate of Fujairah, this environmental area is a thirty minute drive from the Al Bidya mosque in Khor Fakkan, fifteen minutes of which involves an off-road drive.

The site is valuable for its water resources, flora (300+ plant species) and fauna (75 insects, the Arabian tahr, snakes, lizards and maybe the Arabian leopard?) It is also rich in archaeological assets.

To read the entire interesting article, follow this link:
Vikram Singh Barhat, ‘How Green is my Wadi: Wildlife Awakening’, Xpress News, 5 June 2008.

Image: Dr Tourenq of the Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF.

Related:
Fujairah Moving Towards Natural Tourism, ETE, 14 June 2007.

Fujairah Ruler Expresses Condolences

Shaikh Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah, issued a statement extending his condolences to the Al Nahyan family upon the death of Shaikh Nasser Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who died on Monday 2 June 2008 in a helicopter crash.

The Fujairah ruler also represented the citizens of his emirate at the funeral prayers that were held on Tuesday.

Shaikh Nasser was the brother of the UAE President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: UAE flags flying at half-mast this week.

Fujairah on Google Earth

Google Goodness
Anyone thinking of coming to Fujairah for a holiday or to live for a time might get a good idea from having a look at the city and emirate on Google Earth.

Fly to Fujairah
Once you are in Google Earth, putting ‘Fujairah, United Arab Emirates’ into the Search function should ‘fly’ you there with speed.

You will quickly see why Fujairah is such a treasure, nestled under the towering Hajar Mountains and so close to the Arabian Sea (Indian Ocean). The rectangular street pattern reveals the flatness of the Fujairah city and the brown colouring of the city lets you know there is more dust than the green, green grass of home. It is good to see some parks and a date farm or two within the city limits. See how many swimming pools you can spot? There are one or two in the suburb of Faseel and specifically in the White Village.

Southward Direction
Flying south along the coastline you will see the new wharf where rocks are being exported to Iran and other countries. It makes you wonder how much will be left of the Hajars in another decade after trillions of truck loads of rocks have been taken to form the foundation of Dubai’s skyscrapers and now they are being exported overseas! Unfortunately Google Earth reveals the many quarries around Fujairah that scar the mountainous landscape. Some are placed too close to communities and they bring harm to people, especially those who already have respiratory problems such as asthma.

Further south you will see Kalba (Khalba) which is an enclave of the emirate of Sharjah. What is identified as a ‘lagoon’ represents a valuable wetland for hundreds of migratory birds. Only a few kilometers further south you will see a yellow line which denotes the UAE-Omani border.

Proximity to Oman is another good reason to be living in Fujairah but bring your passport if you are crossing the border by car. There is a fence that marks the border if you are walking south on the Kalba Beach. If you get too near the border the officials up in the lookout wave their arms and their rifles and don’t take kindly to you having your photo taken with one foot in each country (even though this is No Person’s Land).

Going North
North from Fujairah city you will see how the Hajars hug the coast. There’s the port and oil refinery and soon to be the pipeline that will bring gas from Qatar via Abu Dhabi.

Moving north to Khorfakkan (also spelt Khaw Fakkan) we are back in the Sharjah emirate, an emirate that has its territories bordering the western and the eastern coasts of the UAE.

The blue dots identify a string of hotels and there are islands where lots of diving takes place.

See how far north the emirate of Fujairah extends. When you get to Dibba you will see the yellow emirate and national boundaries cutting in all directions and dissecting Dibba into Fujairah, Sharjah and the country of Oman. It is remarkable all these state and national enclaves exist and are probably the result of much debate and endless disputes.

Bird’s Eye View
Google Earth gives to travelers and residents a sense of perspective about Fujairah and an indication of distances between the city and its outposts. It gives any navigator an god insight into how to plan a weekend round trip from Dubai or Abu Dhabi. I am amazed at how many friends in other countries of the world check out our bearings to see our house and whether they can see us taking out the rubbish!

Google Map
Since the creation of Google Earth there have spawned many local Google Earth communities around the world—people who on this resource take different parts of their town and add identification tags to indicate parks, shopping malls, schools, places of worship etc.

I am unsure about the existence of a Google Earth Community in Fujairah but in the absence of decent maps of Fujairah and realizing that new streets and institutions are being developed every year, working intentionally on a comprehensive Fujairah street and landmark map might be a useful community project.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: Google Earth photo of Fujairah (click to magnify).

Oil Slick on Fujairah Beaches Again

The three kilometre oil slick along Fujairah’s coastline today was described as ‘massive’, ‘significant’, ‘the biggest spill yet’ and ‘too big’.

People interviewed by The National reporter indicated that ‘minor slicks were common’ and ‘it happens almost every day’.

This new oil slick has killed marine life, put a stop to beach and marine recreation and will again cause hotels and diving clubs to feel the financial strain.

The magnitude of this spill is enormous and tragic. The regularity of the slicks is another sign of the impotence of the systems for surveillance and policing.

Some practical solutions have been recommended again and again but the action by the authorities has been ineffective.

Source: ‘Oil Spills Blacken Fujairah,’ The National, 2 June 2008.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: Recent Oil Slick on Fujairah beach.

Further 2008 Articles:
UAE Negligent in Policing Fujairah waters, FIF, 2 April 2008
Further oil Spills Call for Urgent Action, FIF, 11 March 2008
Oil Damages Fujairah Beaches, Marine Life and Tourism, FIF, 20 February 2008

Road to Fujairah

Coming from Dubai to Fujairah one approaches the mountains at Masafi and for the next few kilometers there are some sensational views.

Take a look at this photo by Alex in its expanded form and go to the site where it is originally posted.

There are several other photos on this site of Fujairah and the UAE.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: Mountains of Fujairah (with thanks to Alex)

Directions from Dubai to Fujairah, Fujairah in Focus

Fujairah Tourism Articles

Summer Fair in Fujairah Opens, MENAFN, 28 May 2008.
Fujairah Hosts Arab Cultural Forum, MENAFN, 27 May 2008.
Fast Lane to Fujairah, Arabian Business, 26 May 2008.
Fujairah Tourism Bureau
Fujairah Tourism Targets: 100% Natural, FIF, 26 October 2007.
Greater Sharjah & Fujairah tourism Cooperation…, FIF, 1 November 2008.
Fujairah Targets Tourism for Growth, AMEINFO, 25 October 2007.
Fujairah to Spend Dh3b on Tourism, UAEInteract, 4 September 2005.

Renter Migration to Fujairah

Nubricks, the ‘online launch pad for international property developments and overseas property news alerts, has posted an article on the effect of the unacceptably high rent in Dubai.

Here is the punch line:

“In addition to the drastic measures of upping sticks lock, stock and barrel, many expatriate residents are considering a longer commute relocating to the neighbouring emirates of Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm al-Quwain and even capital Abu Dhabi , where the cost of living is notably lower.”

Cheaper rents in these far-flung areas, at least for the moment. This ripple effect is gradually raising the rent but not to the Dubai levels. It would be interesting to compare the other major costs of living between Dubai and the cities at the extremities of the Emirates.

Driving from Fujairah earlier this week to attend a breakfast meeting at the Dubai airport made me realize how many people make this 90+ minute commute from Fujairah to Dubai-Sharjah and back every day.

One attractive prospect is that the new highway (ready in 2009?) promises to cut the time spent in the car considerably (to 45 minutes) but with the Emirati love affair with the car, this tripping in and out is a breeze.

Check out the full article at: Mark Benson, ‘Soaring Dubai Rents Good for RAK…”, Nubricks, 7 May 2008.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: Dubai renters heading out east.

Pipe Links Fujairah with Largest Gas Field

Just in case you missed it The National ran an article commemorating the historic launch of the ‘Dolphin gas pipeline’ in May 2008.

The 364km pipeline will run from Ras Laffan in Qatar to Taweelah in Abu Dhabi, thence to Dubai, Al Ain, Fujairah and Oman (if there’s any gas left!).

This is a significant project in many ways:
* It is amazing that oil rich UAE is importing gas
* The source is the largest gas field in the world
* The project represents a partnership of three countries in the Gulf region
* It is part of the GCC plan in creating a single market and currency by 2010

Link to the article:
Tom Ashby, Leaders Launch Historic Pipeline, The National, 12 May 2008.

Image: Dolphin Gas Project pipeline construction.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Fishing: Quintessentially Fujairah

It must be that time of the year for great fishing because here is a link to another series of photos of Bengali fishermen in Fujairah going about their daily business.

They are assisted greatly these days by the jeeps that drag these mile long nets onto the beach but it is still an arduous routine, until the fish are pulled onto the beach.

Many thanks to photographer and blogger, Hans Mast, for posting a large number of fishing photos on his site.

Check out his great photos at HansMast.Com:

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: A sample of Hans Mast’s fishing fotography in Fujairah—‘the catch’

Also:
Fishing, Fish Farming & Eating Fish in UAE FIF, 25 May 2008.

Fishing, Fish Farming & Eating Fish in UAE

The National has recently posted an article that will make your mouth water and get your salivary glands working.

Fishing is a different game in the Arabian Sea and this article gives a thumbnail description of the main varieties—hammour (the UAE’s favourite fish), biah, helwayoo, safi, kingfish, silver pomfrey and sobaity.

Check out this article because most importantly, there are some tips on how to cook these fish (whether you hook them in or buy them from the fish market).

This article also focuses on the problem of over fishing and alludes to fish farming in Fujairah that produces up to 2,000 tonnes per year, with more facilities in the pipeline.

Link: James Brennan, ‘Plenty More Fish’, The National, 13 May 2008.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: How’s this for a hammour? The link to this web site (which is about fishing in the UAE) and it is in French.

Further Fish or Fishing Articles:
Fujairah Fly-fishing capital of the UAE, FIF, 15 November 2007.
Fujairah: Salt Water Fish Capital of the UAE, ETE, 3 June 2007.
Fishing in Fujairah, ETE, 27 April 2007.
Dead Fish, Oil and the Fujairah Beaches, ETE, 12 April 2007.

Fujairah: Gearing Up for Tourist Boom

An Emirates Business 24-7 article describes the way the different emirates (including Fujairah) are gearing up to cope with the growing tourist boom in the UAE. Here is a snippet from Karen Remo-Listana’s article, 24 May 2008:

“Fujairah has between 1,500 and 1,600 hotel rooms and is aiming to increase its capacity to 5,000 in the next five years. The Fujairah Government allocated Dh2.94bn in 2006 for the development of tourism over five years. One of the biggest moves was building a 76km road costing an estimated Dh1.2bn to connect Fujairah to Dubai. The highway is expected to open by the end of this year. The establishment of the new Creativity City, the enhancement of the facilities at Fujairah Airport plus entertainment facilities and shopping malls are expected to further stimulate tourism.”

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: One of Fujairah’s popular landmarks—the Coffee Pot Roundabout, Faseel. This is very near the Hilton Hotel.

Fujairah: Trashing Beautiful Environment

Vesela Todorova has an article in The National (22 May 2008) entitled, ‘Fujairah Wadis Choking on Waste’. It begins:

“Visitors are leaving between 260 and 840kg of rubbish per square kilometre at popular recreation sites each week, a Sharjah-based scientist has estimated.”

“Sandra Knuteson, the assistant professor of environmental science at the American University of Sharjah, collected and measured rubbish – including plastic bottles, glass, aluminium cans, paper, food wrapping and nappies – discarded at two popular wadis in Fujairah and Hatta.”

“‘Littering happens everywhere, but trying to regulate it is important,’ she said. ‘In other parts of the world, there is a big fine for dropping litter.’”

There is more to read in the article at this link.

Newspapers and blogs often cover articles on Fujairah’s sensational beauty but all too often there is a need to write about the trashing of our environment.

Dr Geoff Pound

Extra:

UAE Managers

UAE Expats

UAE Roads & Traffic

UAE Women

Fujairah at DH18,000 a night

Reena Amos Dyes has written an article for Emirates Business 24-7 describing the luxury penthouse at Fujairah’s Le Méridien Hotel.

More than Dh18,000 a night! How does one sleep when you are thinking about paying the bill the next day?

Check out this article and all the mod cons before you decide how many nights you want to book in this Royal Suite.

How does one get a Hotel/Resort journalist job that requires spending a weekend in luxurious surroundings researching these articles?

Link: Reena Amos Dyes, ‘Royal Treatment in Fujairah’, Emirates Business 24-7, 22 May 2008.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: The inside of what must be the most expensive hotel room in the Emirates (there are plenty more rooms at Le Méridien or elsewhere going for lower rates).

Fujairah: ‘So Much to See Here!’

Journalist for The National, Tala al Ramahi, has written a great article on the delights of the United Arab Emirates, especially Fujairah and the East Coast.

Here is a taste of Tala’s reflections after getting out of the Abu Dhabi office to show a friend the whole country:

“A three-hour drive to Fujairah, two weeks ago, provided me with enough evidence that I did not need to travel far to witness beauty on a par – if not surpassing – that which I have seen in places I could reach only through a long (and dehydrating) plane trip.”

“Fujairah’s geography, particularly, the mountainous terrain that lines its 90 kilometre coastline, brought flashbacks of my trip to Waikiki, Hawaii’s most famous beach. Not only were the similarities uncanny, but I was also pleasantly surprised you did not have to pay hefty hotel entrance fees to gain access to the crystal-clear waters of Al-Aqah beach. And while divers I met have constantly praised the rich marine life of the emirate, it took a snorkelling trip around Snoopy Island to make me realise they were not exaggerating.”

“Equally moving, I thought, was one of the wonders of the north to be found just a couple of minutes drive from Al Aqah beach: Al Bidya mosque, a mud structure built in the 15th century, making it the oldest mosque in the country.”

Tala’s final words are these: “Do not forget that this country has more to offer, historically, culturally and environmentally.”

To see the entire article follow this link, ‘So much to see here – and I just didn’t know’, The National, 20 May 2008.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: “Fujairah’s geography, particularly, the mountainous terrain that lines its 90 kilometre coastline, brought flashbacks of my trip to Waikiki, Hawaii’s most famous beach.”

Extra—Recent Articles at Experiencing the Emirates

UAE Report on Human Trafficking

Masdarize the Entire UAE

The Road: The Most Dangerous Place in the Emirates

New Steel Plant for Fujairah

A newly proposed steel plant in Fujairah will be one of the top ten new steel production projects in GCC countries.

This amounts to a staggering investment value of USD 9.5 billion.

The Sojitz Corporation Steel Plant is the Fujairah project at a cost of USD 1 billion. This is a plant that will turn iron ore pellets into steel billets with a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes a year.

To read more about the top ten steel projects planned for the GCC countries follow this link:

SteelGuru News, 20 May 2008.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: Steel billets.

Extra—Recent Articles at Experiencing the Emirates

UAE Report on Human Trafficking

Masdarize the Entire UAE

The Most Dangerous Place in the Emirates

Fujairah Growth at Expense of Fujairah Environment

In a wide-ranging and interesting interview with Gulf News, Eng Mohammed Saif Al Afkham, the deputy director of the Fujairah Municipality, speaks about the improved infrastructure (roads and drainage) and the growth in the Emirate’s tourism, recreation facilities, real estate as well as the forthcoming Al Hillel city, which will comprise residential, business and commercial strands.

It was heartening to read that twice in the interview the Deputy Director stressed the commitment of the municipality to ensure that the economic development of Fujairah was not at the detriment of the environment.

Eng Mohammed Saif Al Afkham said, “On marine pollution, we work closely with environmental clean-up companies who make recommendations on methods of keeping a watch on polluters and ways of dealing with oil spills.”

The three oil spills that have occurred in the last two months indicate that the municipality’s initiatives are insufficient and are not working effectively. The growth of the oil industry in Fujairah is significant but the trio of oil spills is endangering other industries including tourism, hotels, recreational sports and fishing.

The municipality’s close work with clean-up companies and detection groups is to be applauded. It would be good, however, for the public to learn more about the new recommendations and the steps that are being taken to prevent the pollution of the beaches and destroying the marine environment.

Source: Fuad Ali, ‘Fujairah Gears Up for Rapid Growth’, Gulf News, 20 April 2008.

Earlier reports of oil spillages in 2008:

Oil Damages Fujairah beaches, Marine Life and Tourism, February 2008.
Further Oil Spillages, March 2008.

Further commentary and solutions are offered in an article entitled: ‘Monitor the Oil Tankers and Keep our Beaches Clean’, The National, 11 May 2008.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: Fujairah foreshore.