Tourism & Hospitality | Thursday 17 May, 2018 1:46 pm |

This year, Mleiha’s summer and Ramadan specials are tempting enough to make you leave the scorching city and make a beeline for this picturesque nominated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its special offers on overnight camping packages, torchlight treks, full moon horseback rides and a plethora of other desert adventures are almost too good to be true, and give visitors of all groups and tastes abundant access to the destination’s trove of unspoiled beauty, adventure and authentic surroundings.  

Mleiha has carefully crafted leisure and recreation packages in a way that guests are able to enjoy Mleiha’s unique terrain in a variety of ways. For instance, ‘Mleiha Landscapes’ is an hour-long excursion to reveal the site’s interesting rock formations; the ‘Mleiha Dune Buggy Experience’ is a 1-hour adventure drive up to the top of Mleiha’s iconic Fossil Rock; the ‘Sunset Lounge’ is a 4 hour experience relaxing in the tranquil environment of the Mleiha deserts while enjoying a BBQ meal in authentic Arabian style around a bonfire, ‘Torchlight Treks’ are a one-of-a-kind adventure offering a fascinating peek into Mleiha’s secrets that are revealed only in the night.  

‘Full Moon Horseback Rides’ are ideal to traverse the cool evening dunes under a spectacular night sky; and can be finished off with ‘ABC of Astrophotography’, a workshop that combines photography and astronomy by teaching how to take photos of distant celestial objects using telescopes and cameras together. 

For more information and bookings, please visit: discovermleiha.ae 

Mahmoud Rashid Al Suwaidi, Manager of Mleiha Archeological and Eco Tourism Project, said: “Contrary to popular perception, Mleiha is actually cooler than the average summer temperatures experienced in the Emirate. After sunset, the mercury falls rapidly in the desert with the sand cooling off quickly and making the surroundings pleasant quite rapidly with an average temperature between33°Cand 36°Cdegrees. It is due to this unique feature of Mleiha that we welcome guests to come and enjoy the summer with family and friends by opting for one of the many unique offerings that will be promoted throughout summer and Ramadan, with big discounts.”

There are excellent F&B options at the destination, with Bystro Café overlooking the majestic Fossil Rock Mountain serves up a great variety of refreshing beverages and light snacks. The Centre opening hours during Ramadan will be from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM for day time, and from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM for the evening, as for Bystro Café during Ramadan it will be from 06:30 PM to 11:00 PM.

Around one-third of the earth’s surface is covered in deserts, but Mleiha is like no other desert landscape one has ever seen.

The Mleiha Archaeological and Eco-tourism Project is a collaboration by Shurooq with the Planning and Survey Department, the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah, and the Sharjah Archaeology AuthorityIt is unique tourist destination due to its natural beauty, diversity of rare wildlife and its archaeological discoveries which has seen it nominated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

 The project will also help preserve the outstanding archaeological sites that date back to the third millenniums BC, and also protect rare wild animals, such as the Arabian Tahr, the Arabian Oryx, sand gazelle (Al Reem), and Damani gazelles and ostriches. It also gives tourists an opportunity to explore archaeological treasures and rich ecological and biodiversity in Mleiha and its surrounding areas.