Old Town Area, Umm Al Quwain

Old Town, UAQ, also known as Old Umm Al Quwain is a mixed-use district located at the edge of Umm Al Quwain (UAQ). The oldest neighbourhood has a shape like a teardrop surrounded by sea and creek. Old Town, UAQ is home to the historic landmark of the emirate, UAQ National Museum and Hutchison Port. King Faisal Street and Al Corniche Street start from the district which connects it to the major highway, A Ittihad Street.

The area is currently under the process of the redevelopment as per the resolution issued by His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu’alla, Ruler of Umm Al Quwain. The upgrading of Old Umm Al Quwain will boost economic growth through sustainable tourism.

• The oldest district of Umm Al Quwain
• Home to UAQ National Museum and Ahmed Bin Rashid Port
• Located at the northern end of the emirate
• King Faisal Street and Al Corniche Street provides ease for commuting

Old Umm Al Quwain, from where the emirate expanded was discovered 200 years back by Sheikh Majed Al Mualla. According to historians, the people of the Al Mualla tribe came from Al Sinniyah Island to Umm Al Quwain when the island’s drinking water ran out. They followed the occupation of their descendants and earned bread and butter through fishing and pearl diving.

The area has not been changed anymore. One can see a dhow-building yard, fishing boats and nets, coral-stone houses and watchtowers in the area. The Old Town, UAQ also has residential buildings thought to be more than 150 years old and traditional wind towers. But the government of UAQ has planned to renovate this city while preserving the 200 years old findings from Ed-Dur and Tel-Abraq. The resolution of redeveloping the Old Umm Al Quwain by Ruler of Umm Al Quwain includes demolition of derelict buildings and construction of new projects.

The Old Town, UAQ is home to some notable landmarks such as UAQ National Museum, Ahmed Bin Rashid Port and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Centre for Marine Research, Umm Al Quwain. The district has several dining options, supermarkets, well-connected road network and other amenities residents look for.

Properties in the Old Town, UAQ include villas mostly available in a different configuration. These villas are usually rented in portions, in this way, residents take benefits from available amenities in an affordable price range. Usually, small families and individuals prefer to rent these villas.

Flamingo Beach Resort in Old Town Area, Umm Al Quwain is a perfect resort offering a wide range of water sports activities, crab hunting and a private beach area. It is one of the best resorts in Umm Al Quwain featuring two on-site restaurants, room service and meeting rooms. Each room of the resort offers spectacular views of mangrove islands and the lagoon. Other facilities include a parking area, laundry service and free internet.

A few houses have dedicated parking spaces in the Old Town, UAQ while visitors can avail street parking facilities.

There are limited options available for public transportation in the Old Umm Al Quwain. Residents can hire a cab to move around the city or avail the bus service after driving for around 15-minutes.

Residents will find several supermarkets in the Old Town, UAQ from where they can buy daily essentials. These include Al Sameera Grocery, Town Supermarket, Shaima Supermarket and Abu Badar Supermarket. Old Bazaar in the community has several grocery stores, restaurants and shops from where one can buy traditional jewellery, perfumes and clothes. Lulu Hypermarket in the Mall of UAQ is another option for grocery shopping near the area.

Mosques in Old Town, UAQ are dotted around the district to facilitate Muslim members. They can offer daily prayers in Sheikh Abdullah Bin Rashid Mosque, Masjid Al-Taqwa, Masjid Obadah Bin Al Samit and Masjid Quba.

Those who follow Christianity can head to IPC Umm Al Quwain in the Old Umm Al Quwain for worship. Other churches nearby include Our Lady of Arabia Church and Winners Chapel International Ajman.

The New Indian School near Old Town, UAQ is one of the best schools in Umm Al Quwain located at a 7-minute drive. For Kindergarten, the school follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum while the CBSE is followed for students from Grades 1 to 8. The Indian School offers SCERT Curriculum (Kerala Board) to students of Grade 9 and 10. Other schools nearby include Al Manahil Primary School, UAQ Girls School for Basic Education and Habitat School.

Those looking for higher education options can find plenty of reputable educational institutes in a short drive of 5 to 10-minutes. These include Umm Al Quwain University (UAQU) and British Applied College. Umm Al Quwain University, formerly known as Emirates Canadian University College has four colleges offering bachelors and graduate programs. These include the College of Business Administration, Arts & Science, Mass Communication and Law.

Healthcare options near Old Town, UAQ include Sansaya Clinic Umm Al Quwain, Hollywood Smile Dental Clinic and Al Hayat Medical Centre. The team of qualified medical professionals at Thumbay Clinic UAQ provides services for general medicine, dermatology, obstetrics & gynaecology and paediatrics. All these clinics are located within a 5 to 10-minute drive. Al Jazbir Clinic is the only medical facility in the area.

Most of the popular residential areas are located to the south as the old district shares the beachside border of the emirate mainly. Lamghadar, Al Rass, Al Hawaeh and Al Raudah are a few of them. The Industrial Area of Umm Al Quwain and other communities such as Al Salamah and Umm Al Quwain Marina lie towards the south-eastern side of the community.

Mall of Umm Al Quwain is the nearest shopping mall for residents of the Old Town, UAQ. It has several retail outlets, dining options and entertainment facilities along with the anchor store of Lulu Hypermarket and Department Store. Some of the popular stores of the mall are Mothercare, Richway, Mumuso, and Malabar Gold & Diamonds. The entertainment facilities at Mall of UAQ include Star Cinemas and Orange Hub, a recreational spot offering arcade games and kid-friendly rides. It will take a 13-minute drive to reach the mall. Other shopping malls near Old Umm Al Quwain are China Mall UAQ and City Mall.

There is no shortage of local eateries and casual dining restaurants in the Old Town, UAQ. Some of the popular ones include Osama Restaurant, Sagar Restaurant and Sadaf Restaurant and Cafeteria. Indian Palace Restaurant and Waves are two of the best Indian restaurants in Umm Al Quwain offering a variety of Indian dishes in an affordable price range. Other cafeterias in the community are Al Harmoodi Restaurant and Al Salama Restaurant.

Since Old Umm Al Quwain is a coastal area of the emirate, residents will find a series of expansive beaches near the community. Umm Al Quwain beach is the popular public beach nearby offering various water sports activities and other beach facilities.

Umm Al Quwain National Museum is one of the notable and historic landmarks of the emirate located in the Old Town, UAQ. It was a fort built by H.H. Sheikh Rashid Bin Majid Al Mualla in 1768 for the residence of the ruling family. In 2000, the fort was converted into a museum to preserve the historical site and valuable finds from Tel Abraq and Ed Dur. The renowned exhibits of the museum are jewellery, documents and gifts presented to the Ruler of Umm Al Quwain.

Another landmark in the residential area is Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Centre for Marine Research, Umm Al Quwain. It is the UAE’s first hatchery and marine research centre established to boost the blue economy in the region. The first phase of the project has an investment of Dh75 million to produce around 10 million juvenile fish. The research centre has laboratories, aquariums, libraries, conference hall and an exhibition area. The second phase of the project is under development.

Ahmed Bin Rashid Port, also known as Hutchison Ports UAQ, was established by His Highness Sheikh Rashid Bin Ahmed Al-Mualla in 1998. Hutchison Port is a 4 berth container and has 845m long quay along with a 23-hectare yard. The skilled labour force of the port and state-of-the-art handling equipment provide support to carriers and shippers. Other facilities of the port are 13,000 sq. m. of warehouse space, container handling and marine services.

Municipal Park in the Old Town, UAQ is a popular recreational facility in the area where families can take a stroll and children can play. Other parks near the community are H.H Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Park and The National Flag Park. Both the best parks in Umm Al Quwain are accessible in a 5 to 10-minute drive.

Fitness enthusiasts can keep up with their workout session in gyms near the Old Town, UAQ. These include VIP Fitness, Miami Gym and 24 Gym. All these fitness centres are located at a short drive of 5 to 10-minutes from the community.

Rumana Ladies Salon near Old Town, UAQ offers threading, waxing, hair care treatments, facials, manicure and pedicure treatments in an affordable price range. It will take a 4-minute drive to reach the salon. Other beauty care options nearby include Malak Beauty Salon, Sephora Beauty Salon and Yasmin Henna Ladies Salon.

Residents can attend events held at the Mall of Umm Al Quwain.

Old Town Area, UAQ is a bustling area of the emirate with limited residential options. However, this may change in the upcoming years as there are several projects underway in the district.

• Umm Al Quwain International Airport is a 30-minute drive away
• One can reach to the emirate of Ajman in a half an hour drive
• A 28-minute drive to Dreamland Aqua Park
• Kite Beach Centre UAQ is located a 10-minute drive away