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UAE's first cross-emirate hiking trail to link Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah
The 2 emirates share mountain ranges close to the Oman border, with the proposed trail likely include mountains, wadis, coastal areas, and the desert
- PUBLISHED: Thu 1 May 2025, 3:07 PM
UAE will soon get its first cross-emirate hiking trail, as Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah join forces to create a seamless, connected adventure corridor.
With the two emirates sharing mountain ranges close to the Oman border, the trail will likely include mountains, valleys (wadis), coastal areas, and the desert.
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While Ras Al Khaimah boasts several mountain paths, thrilling rides, and a series of six ziplines that start from varying heights, Fujairah’s hiking trail network includes the Sal Khail Trail and the Alaqqah Coastal Ridge, which looks out over the city and coast.
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"Along with [RAK’s] beautiful mountain topography, we share mountains with Fujairah, so we wanted to be able to connect our hiking trails and the activities and the adventure elements that come with it,” Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), told Khaleej Times.
This comes as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by RAKTDA with Fujairah Adventures, on Wednesday, that will connect both emirate's expansive hiking trail network.
In 2024, RAK welcomed around 1.3 million visitors, and Philips said that the emirate is looking at “tripling the number of tourists in the destination to get over 3.5 million” by the end of the decade.
He added that half of those tourists come from other parts of the UAE, as “people look at us [RAK] as a leisure destination to escape and to really reconnect with themselves.”
He said, “With the combination of Jebel Jais, being the highest mountain in the UAE, the 64km of white sand beach, and our desert topography, that beautiful connection makes it really, really unique.”
Hind Aldah is a business reporter based in Sharjah. In her spare time, you will find her playing classical guitar, painting amateur oil paintings, or crocheting the same old scarf that leads nowhere.