This is the village of Jazirat al-Hamra or the Red Island, a once bustling coastal town, just 18 km to the south of Ras al-Khaimah city. Occupied by the Za’ab tribe, this coastal village was created in the 14th century on a peninsula. They were also called Hadhr, which is the local name for coastal Bedouins, whose livelihood depended mainly on pearling. The 1930s economic crises saw the decline of the natural pearl industry.

More than forty years have passed since many of the hundreds of families who lived in the old town moved out. What is unique about the village is that Jazirat al-Hamra has remained almost untouched as the rest of Ras al-Khaimah developed unlike many Emirati settlements that were abandoned in the second half of the 20th century. It is a small pocket of Gulf cultural heritage that many believe needs to be protected as it is an interesting reflection of how all of these towns, and now cities, in the UAE and beyond, once looked.

Jazirat Village with more than 200 housing complexes and structures built from coral stone and beach rock has now undergone a sympathetic restoration, restoring several of its heritage buildings and sites and is now open to the public.  

His Highness Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah ordered lighting up the entire area to reflect its beauty and cultural heritage helping it become a tourism attraction with its forts and buildings steeped in history.