Jebel Hafeet Mountain Summit & Highway

Rising in stark, limestone grandeur south of Al Ain along the border with Oman, Jebel Hafeet is Abu Dhabi's tallest peak and the second highest mountain in the UAE, reaching an elevation of 1,249 meters (4,098 feet). Composed of heavily weathered limestone strata that were thrust upward during tectonic collisions millions of years ago, the mountain is rich in marine fossils of ancient crabs, corals, and nummulites. The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road is an engineering masterwork celebrated globally among drivers. Stretching 11.7 kilometers with 60 sweeping corners and three smooth highway lanes carved into the rock face, the highway climbs nearly 1,200 vertical meters to the summit, where panoramic viewpoints overlook the vast sands of the Empty Quarter on one side and the green oases of Al Ain on the other. At the eastern base of the mountain lies the Jebel Hafeet Desert Park, home to over 500 beehive-shaped dome tombs dating to the Bronze Age (c. 3200 BCE–2700 BCE), providing profound archaeological proof of ancient human habitation.