The mountains and highlands of the country provide interesting trips

Honey is food, medicine and diversity.. It promotes eco-tourism and highlights the richness and diversity of the nature of the Emirates

Beekeepers, especially in mountainous areas, have turned into a source of income and a tourist attraction.

From the source

The UAE’s natural environment is full of riches that reflect the uniqueness and diversity of its rich nature. From the towering mountains to the coasts extending from the Arabian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, to the oases in the middle of its vast deserts, the forms of vegetation vary, which are reinforced by the nature reserves scattered throughout the country, and with it Nature offers a variety of Emirati honey, with its unique health properties and the distinctive addition it offers to eco-tourism and mountaineering in the country.

Since ancient times, honey has kept pace with the human journey in the Emirates and its sustainable way of living integrated with nature. It is a food that can be eaten once harvested or kept for long periods to keep pace with long travel trips. It is a medicine that is included in many popular recipes, as well as a symbol of hospitality and a slogan to welcome guests.

With the diversity of the UAE's environment and natural wealth, its production of honey has diversified, and apiaries, especially in the mountainous areas, have turned into a source of income and a tourist attraction based on the bounties of the land and the authenticity of heritage in the heart of the most beautiful winter in the world. Spread across the UAE, with its diverse terrain, many natural habitats for beekeeping and honey harvesting of all kinds, reflecting the rich nature of this good land and its contribution to the sustainability of life for all human beings. According to the United Nations Environment Program, 71 agricultural crops out of 100 types of crops are responsible for providing 90% of the world's food depends almost entirely on pollination by bees.

Emirati honey is known for its excellent natural characteristics and high quality, which benefits from the country's diverse natural environment, strict laws that protect the natural habitats of fungal organisms, and the significant expansion of the establishment of reserves.

Honey production in the UAE is linked to three main seasons, namely Al Samar, Sidr and Ghaf, which are related to rainfall.

The process of harvesting Samar honey, known as "honey cutting", begins in April and continues until June. The rugged mountainous regions of the country are famous for producing this type of honey, which mountain people have mastered by tracing the routes of bees among the mountain people in the areas of the spread of brown trees.

The mountains of the Emirate of Fujairah are famous for the production of this type of wild honey, which bees usually collect in hives hidden between caves and rocks or on mountain tops and in deep valleys and among the branches of wild trees.

Samar honey is considered one of the most delicious and most expensive types of local honey, and is characterized by its pleasant aroma and medicinal benefits. When harvested, its color tends to red or golden before it changes after being stored later to become closer to dark colors while retaining its full natural characteristics.

As for Ghaf honey, it is harvested between the months of May and July, and the name of this honey is associated with the well-known Ghaf tree in the country, which is widely spread in desert areas and on roadsides.

As for Sidr honey, which is extracted from the flower of the “Libyab”, its cut season is between October and November, and this type of honey is abundant in the mountains and plains of the Emirates and its valleys, especially in the northeastern regions. Sidr has health benefits as it is used in folk remedies for chest and cough diseases.

In addition to these three main seasons of honey in the mountainous regions of the country, there are other seasons for less prevalent types of honey, such as spring honey between mid-February and mid-April, which results from bees feeding on flowering plants, in addition to mangroves honey, Arab acacia honey and astragalus honey, Each has its own distinct flavour, color and aroma.

A hiker in the mountains of the Emirates can see the local bee, which is characterized by its small size and special colors, and is known as the "Abu Tuwaiq" bee, a bee with unique physiological characteristics among other bee species, and it belongs to the family of "dwarf bees" that live in the hot regions of South and Southeast Asia and the Gulf. It is characterized by its great ability to withstand high temperatures, unlike other species of bees.

The honey hunt trips between the mountains and valleys of the Emirates are a unique experience within the mountain tourism experiences, and the search for wild honey hives begins at dawn.

honey preserves

In various parts of the UAE, there are reserves dedicated to bees and honey, most notably the Bee Garden, which is located between the Hatta Mountains and surrounded by the most wonderful plants and animals. It also contributes to highlighting the role of bees and their importance to the environment. Visitors can approach the beehives and discover their wonderful breeds, while children enjoy various recreational activities. The city of Hatta also witnesses an annual honey festival, whose activities are accompanied by the campaign of the most beautiful winter in the world.

In the Dibba Al-Fujairah region, you can visit the "Al-Dhanhani Honey Reserve" and see the Ali Salem Suleiman Al-Dhanhani Personal Museum, which contains traditional tools, folk costumes, tools and machines for purifying and packing honey, so that it is ready for sale in the local market.

As for the Wadi al-Helou and Dam al-Ghail project in the city of Kalba in the eastern region of the state and belonging to the Emirate of Sharjah, work continues on the Mount al-Kitab project, which is located at an altitude of 950 meters and aims to develop five mountain peaks connected to each other through a set of roads and paths that provide users with a unique and distinctive experience.

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