Liwa Oasis

Liwa Oasis

Liwa Oasis is considered one of the largest oases in the Rub Al Khali desert. It is located almost on the border between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Its shape resembles a crescent moon with its back facing the coast and its horns facing the border. This oasis is considered the agricultural breadbasket of the UAE. Numerous palm plantations are laid out here, greenhouses are organized. Also Liwa is famous for its 10 fortresses built in the XIX century.

General information

Every day, hundreds of tourists from different countries visit Liwa, among them locals, seeking to spend their free time in the amazing sand dunes of Liwa or to go skiing. There are about 40 settlements on the territory, and once lived here the great tribe of Beni Yas, whose descendants were the rulers of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The most famous dune of the Liwa Oasis is Moreeb Dune. It is one of the greatest dunes from the entire planet. Its height reaches just over3 three hundred meters, width of one and a half thousand meters, and the angle of the slope is fifty degrees. Quite often the Moreeb Dune Cars and Bikes Championship is held here, where cars or motorcycles are driven over the dunes. In addition to car races, there are also camel races, which are very interesting and exciting.

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There are two famous hotels in Liwa: the five-star Qasr al Sarab Desert Resort, which translates as “Mirage Palace”, and the 3-star Liwa Hotel. The 3-star Liwa Hotel is erected in the center of an oasis, namely the Rub El Khali Desert, from where, the dunes of Liwa are clearly visible. The rooms have many amenities for you to enjoy, including air conditioning, mini-bar, TV, personal telephone, iron, ironing board, free Wi-Fi, kettle, free bottle of drinking water.

The Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort Hotel looks like an ancient Arabian fort. It is located less than ten kilometers from the Hamim highway, which crosses the desert. All rooms of the hotel are equipped with the latest technology, on the territory of which there are several restaurants and bars, a couple of swimming pools. You can also go to a spa center or a sauna; for business trips there is a conference room, and for children there is a playground. Its interior is in the Arabian style. Here you can try surfing on a board, walk across the vast desert on a camel, take part in ancient falconry or ride jeeps or quad bikes. For VIPs, there is an airstrip not far from the hotel, which can only take small airplanes.

The oasis can be reached by car from Abu Dhabi along a modern multi-lane highway. Travel time will take about two hours. Another travel option is by bus from Abu Dhabi, which runs every two hours. The bus leaves from the inner platform of the bus station from the X60 stop. The trip will take only three hours. Tickets will need to be bought in the bus cabin after boarding and cost 15 dirhams.