Photos of Al Ain, Garden City of the Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

Al Ain (literally "The Eye", referring to a spring) is also known as the Garden City due to its greenery. It is situated about 160 kilometres east of the capital Abu Dhabi, in the Buraimi oasis, on the border with Oman.

Al Ain is the second largest city in the Abu Dhabi Emirate and the fourth largest city in the UAE with a population of 375,000. It is the birthplace of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder and first president of the United Arab Emirates. The palace where he was born is now a museum, which replicates what life was like there. There are various other forts that can be visited, like the Sultan Fort, built in 1910, now on the grounds of the Al-Ain National Museum. The actual oasis with its groves of date palms, narrow walled alleys and small mosques to explore is a nice place to visit with an active camel market about 20 kilometres away.

About 30 kilometres from the city is Jebel Hafeet, a jagged limestone mountain, rising to a height of 1,350 metres out of the surrounding plains. A road with spectacular views winds up to the peak and at the foot of Jebel Hafeet is Green Mubazzarah Park, with popular family holiday chalets.