Mleiha

Mleiha National Park in Sharjah protects over 34 km2 of desert and archaeological sites, about 65 km southeast of Sharjah city^[1].

A Core Conservation Zone is intended to protect the natural environment and support wildlife^[1].

The park is desert on gravel plains and dunes, where plant cover is sparse.

Millions of years ago much of Arabia was under the ocean, which explains the marine fossils of Fossil Rock (Jebel Mleiha); the landscape includes rocky hills and desert sand^[1].

The climate is hot and arid; the Fossil Rock trail has no shade, so early morning or late afternoon is advised.

The Faya North East find suggests anatomically modern humans were in the Mleiha area 130,000-120,000 years ago, and a nearby Umm Al Nar tomb dates to around 2,300-2,100 BCE^[2].

The Mleiha Archaeological Centre opened on 24 January 2016, developed by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq)^[2].

Visitors can see Fossil Rock on hiking trails, take guided tours of archaeological sites, ride horses and go paragliding^[1].

From Dubai take the E44 and exit toward E55; the centre is about two minutes from the E55 exit. Facilities include the archaeological centre, glamping sites and an off-road adventure park^[1].

The park is divided into a Core Conservation Zone, Ecotourism Zones and a Hybrid Zone, with activities that would harm wildlife strictly regulated^[1].