Discover

Ras Al Khaimah has become one of the most sought-after destinations in the Middle East. Locally, it is fondly known as the Pearl of the Emirates and is internationally renowned for its inspiring history and nature. Travellers to Ras Al Khaimah can choose from serene-spa-luxury to knee-trembling-adrenaline-adventures and anything in between.

You’ll find endless treasures as you explore the Emirate. Fall in love with the history of the north and unravel seven millennia of tales, poetry and craftmanship. Ras Al Khaimah will take your breath away as you learn about the Bedouin culture, heartwarming stories, and the Islamic traditions. The Emirate combines the past and the future and demonstrates the best of both worlds.

Jazirah Al Hamra is the oldest pearl diving and fishing village in the region, where you’ll see the impressive architecture of a traditionally built wind tower barjeel, the ventilation and cooling system formerly used in traditional houses in the United Arab Emirates. Each building in the village was constructed using local materials such as coral blocks, fossilised beach rock, mangrove tree beams, date palm trunks, roofing, matting and ropes and layers of seashells for drainage. The village is on the UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Tentative List, representing thousands of years of classic architecture and town planning in the Middle East.

Emirati’s are proud of their heritage and show extraordinary hospitality, family cohesion, tolerance and solidarity towards each other and their visitors. Ras Al Khaimah Government and the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority work hard to preserve the heritage of its people. They ensure the rich history is kept alive through customary events and festivals, museums, landmarks, mosques, and UNESCO areas of interest.

Across the Emirate, visitors can experience impressive nature. The Al Wadi Equestrian Centre at The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah is home to purebred Arabian horses, a symbol of pride and nobility. Ras Al Khaimah’s love for the Arabian horse goes back centuries with the Bedouins and their equestrian talent. Arabian horses are celebrated in poetry, immortalised in myth, recorded in religious books and famed for their endurance, strength and loyalty.

The Arabian oryx was almost extinct in the early 1970s, but owing to a successful breeding programme, the medium-sized desert antelope, also known as W’Dhehi, roams freely around the nature reserve. The oryx is primarily white and has dark triangular facial features and leg markings. Their impressive long, straight horns make them easily identifiable.