The largest
natural harbor is at Dubai, although other ports have
been dredged at Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and elsewhere.
Numerous islands are found in the gulf. The smaller
islands, as well as many coral reefs and shifting sandbars,
are a menace to navigation. Strong tides and occasional
windstorms further complicate ship movements near the
shore.
The UAE also extends for about ninety kilometers
along the Gulf of Oman, an area known as the Al Batinah
coast. The Al Hajar al Gharbi (Western Al Hajar)
Mountains, rising in places to 2,500 meters, separate
the Al Batinah coast from the rest of the UAE. Beginning
at the UAE-Oman border on the Persian Gulf coast
of the Musandam Peninsula (Ras Musandam), the Al
Hajar al Gharbi Mountains extend southeastward for
about 150 kilometers to the southernmost UAE-Oman
frontier on the Gulf of Oman. The range continues
as the Al Hajar ash Sharqi (Eastern Al Hajar) Mountains
for more than 500 kilometers into Oman. The mountain
slopes tend to run right to the shore. Nevertheless,
there are small harbors at Diba al Hisn, Kalba, and
Khor Fakkan on the Gulf of Oman. In the vicinity
of Fujeirah, where the mountains do not approach
the coast, there are sandy beaches. |
