It includes 9 aflaj and 187 thousand palm trees

Aflaj Al Ain is alive and well over the years

• Aflaj depended on people's lives in the past, and it remained a heritage symbol linking the present with the past.

  Emirates today

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The aflaj in the city of Al Ain have been a major source of fresh water since ancient times, and played an important role in providing water throughout the year for the inhabitants of Al Ain Oasis in the past.

Life depended on the aflaj in the past, and people settled wherever they found the aflaj that overflow with water and irrigate the oases that contain trees of various kinds, and it has remained to this day a heritage symbol linking the present with the past. It was the start and interest of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may he rest in peace, to lead the afforestation epic, spread the agricultural area, and expand green spaces.

The city of Al Ain is famous for its many aflaj, and it is the only city in the UAE that includes this number of aflaj, where there are nine main aflaj, and many subsidiary aflaj and tributaries, and a falaj is a channel dug into the ground to collect groundwater or spring water. And springs or rain water, and it is transferred from its natural resources in the falaj channel by the force of gravity, without using any machines to raise it until it reaches the Shariah and distributes the water to the palms.

Aflaj Al Ain

In Al Ain, there are many aflaj feeding the palm oases, including:Al-Aini Falaj, Al-Daoudi Falaj, Al-Muwaiji Falaj, Al-Mutarid Falaj, Al-Jimi Falaj, Al-Qattara Falaj, Hili Falaj, Mazyad Falaj, Al-Raki Falaj, and many other tributaries. Foot» from the beginning of the falaj in a non-straight path, to increase the force of water thrust, and a gradual, unnoticeable rise until it reaches the Sharia above the surface of the earth, then it is distributed to irrigation channels (pillars) to irrigate the palm trees, and the mothers of the falaj are usually in mountainous places or nearby plains From the mountains, where the groundwater level rises, and there are the mothers of the Al-Aini Falaj near Umm Sedira, and it was by its mothers in the Al-Maragh area. Falaj Al Daoudi, which has also been expanded, Falaj Al Muwaiji, whose mothers are located next to the old passports in the Hamira area in the center of the city, and Falaj Al Mutarid, whose mothers are located at the old Murabba police station,Falaj Al Jahili, whose mothers are located next to the Maintenance Department of the Department of Agriculture from the east, Falaj Al Jimi and passes through the Wilayat of Al Buraimi in the Sultanate of Oman, and Falaj Al Qattara, and whose mothers are located south of Sa`ra city in the Wilayat of Al Buraimi in the Sultanate of Oman, and Falaj Hili and whose mothers are located east of Al Foah, and there are two forearms, and Falaj Mazyad, Its mothers are located from the Mezyed watering area to the east, and the city of Al-Ain was named by this name due to the large number of springs and wells in it, which were used in agriculture and watering animals.

Paying attention to the aflaj

Al Ain is the only city that includes this number of aflaj and oases. It was even described as the city of oases. The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan gave special care and great attention to oases and aflaj, where wells and silos were dug in the past with the knowledge of the aflaj and oases department, and under The supervision of the Aflaj and Oasis Committee, where a committee was formed to supervise and follow up the works in the aflaj and oases, and to appoint observers, identifiers and irrigation workers, and to carry out irrigation, maintenance, prevention, spraying, cleaning and maintenance of internal roads, walls, doors and irrigation channels. To his palms with ease, and periodic maintenance is done for the aflaj and the Thiqab, to preserve them from any damage, and protection nets are made on the paths of the aflaj on both sides, to preserve them from any encroachments as a result of urban sprawl and infrastructure works.

palm oases

Al Ain city includes many oases (Al Ain Oasis - Daoudi Oasis - Al Muwaiji Oasis - Al Mutarid Oasis - Al Jimi Oasis - Al Qattara Oasis - Hili Oasis). Each oasis includes a number of palm plantations owned by citizens. Providing all support in terms of maintenance, irrigation, prevention, spraying, cleaning and maintenance of irrigation channels, walls, roads and doors, under the supervision of the Aflaj and Oasis Department of Al Ain City Municipality.

Towers and forts

The emergence of the aflaj and their use in irrigation was linked to the emergence of the historical buildings for which the city of Al Ain is famous, and forts, castles and towers were built to protect the water and land resources in those oases from those greedy for them.

It was for the wisdom of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may his soul rest in peace, that he ordered the appointment of the late Abdullah bin Hilal Al Kuwaiti as the first head of the Aflaj and Oasis Department, and after his death he ordered the appointment of the late Sultan bin Ahmed Al Kuwaiti in 1968, as well as the appointment of a number of experienced citizens. And knowledge of the palm owners and the people of the oasis from the people of the area in which the oasis is located, in order to follow the progress of work in the oasis, distribute water equally among the palm farms, solve problems between neighbors and demarcate the borders between the owners, given their experience and their good knowledge of the oasis and the owners, and to be fully responsible for the oases and aflaj, Then a number of young citizens are appointed to the oases and aflaj to gain experiences from the first generation to preserve and sustain aflaj and oases, generation after generation.

sergeant and agent of Al-Falaj

The sergeant of the falaj is the person who has complete knowledge and full knowledge of all the palm owners in the oasis, and knowledge of the path of the falaj from its mothers to the Sharia and the boundaries of the palm. Water on the palm trees and the rotation of the falaj, maintenance and prevention work, spraying and cleaning, and follow-up of the companies’ work in the areas and paths of the falaj, to protect them from any abuses or damages.

Water distribution rations

The method of distributing water shares by measuring the shade and distributing the seed was used in the past, and it was abolished by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may his soul rest in peace, and the adoption of modern methods in irrigation works, the quantity of water nourishing the oases, and the methods of distributing it to palm farms, under the supervision of Oasis monitors.

Mothers of Aflaj and Thaqabah

The mothers of the aflaj and all the paths of the aflaj and the thaqab affiliated with each falaj are known, and they have been updated, made plans and registered on the municipal system, with the knowledge of the aflaj committee and the oasis monitors, who have full knowledge and full knowledge of all the paths of the aflaj and the thaqab affiliated with each falaj, in cooperation with the Survey Department of the Town Planning and Surveying Sector, To preserve them from any encroachments as a result of urban development and infrastructure works, and periodic maintenance is done for all aflaj matches to preserve and protect them from any damage.

Number of palm trees

The city of Al Ain is characterized by palm cultivation, where the state gives the palm tree full attention and care, because of this blessed tree of great benefits, and it is found in the streets, gardens, farms and homes. There are also fruit trees in some citizens' farms, such as mango, banana, fig, orange, lemon and ambu, and they are taken care of within the irrigation and prevention program approved for palm farms in the oases.

The role of Al Ain Municipality

Al Ain City Municipality, represented by the Aflaj and Oasis Department, plays an important and vital role in preserving and caring for the aflaj and oases. Almost the surface of the earth and its dyeing, writing the name of each aflaj on its match, making iron barriers and gates inside the residential areas through which the aflaj pass to protect them, as well as raising and modernizing all aflaj and their path, making plans for them, placing them on the general plan of the city of Al Ain, and making periodic maintenance of the aflaj The oases, irrigation channels, walls and internal roads in all oases, installing electronic gates at all entrances to the oases, and building rooms, offices and housing for workers with an architectural heritage in line with the historical and heritage character of the oases, which helped to include the oases of Al Ain on the World Heritage List (UNESCO) in June 2011.

 The longest falaj and the largest oasis

Hili Falaj is one of the longest falajs in the city of Al Ain, with a length of about nine kilometers. One of the oldest falajs in the region was also found during excavations in the archaeological area of ​​Hili, in an important discovery that changed the map of history related to the aflaj, after the discovery of the “Hili Falaj 15”, which dates back to the Iron Age, and dates the falaj to 1200 BC.

The vision of Sheikh Zayed

The support and attention given by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may his soul rest in peace, had a great impact in preserving and sustaining the aflaj and oases. The implementation of the oases development project, the work of the main entrances, internal roads, walls and corridors, the renewal and maintenance of columns (irrigation canals), and the extension of water lines to all oases of Al Ain, due to the lack of rain and the lack of water by falaj, to preserve and sustain the oases’ palms.

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