Wadi Hatta

The total length of Wadi Hatta is ', of which run in Emirati territory, and in Omani territory. Its river source is located in the territory of Oman, at an approximate altitude of , on the southern slope and a very short distance from the summit of Jabal Hatta', also known as Um Alnosoor (). From Al Khattem Dam, the Wadi Hatta continues its course from west to east, receiving the confluence of the Wadi Wahiyah on the left. Also on its left bank, on the other side of the E44 highway, in the territory of the Emirate of Dubai, and less than 300 meters from the wadi bed, there are traces of large quarries, currently abandoned, whose activity caused a great environmental impact, with irreparable damage to the natural environment, destroying a large part of the mountain and the courses of several small wadis tributaries to Wadi Hatta. Already in the territory of the Sultanate of Oman, the Wadi Hatta receives from the right the confluence of its main tributary, the Wadi al Qahfi, long, very popular for hosting along its course numerous natural ponds and freshwater pools, accessible by vehicle through a dirt track. Some visitors and several Emirati tourist information portals confuse this wadi with Wadi Hatta, and one of the most frequented pool areas is wrongly called Hatta Pools. In its lower course, the Wadi Hatta converges with another important tributary, the Wadi Khabab, long, and a minor tributary: the Wadi Sufaydah. In the final stretch, through the wide fan that forms its extensive alluvial plain and as often occurs in other plains of similar morphology, the Wadi Hatta branches into multiple braided channels, intertwined and interspersed with small islands of coarse sediment. Over time, the wadi's current tends to wander between torrential rains, altering the previous courses, which nevertheless maintain their mark on the plain. == Dams and reservoirs ==

To supply water to the inhabitants of the area, prevent the danger of flash floods, and increase the potential for recharging groundwater, several dams have been built since the 1990s in the Wadi Hatta catchment area (including all its tributaries), all of them in UAE territory, none in Oman: • In the sub-basin of Wadi Hadf, in the territory of the Emirate of Ajman: Hadf Dam (coordinates: 24°49′37″N, 56°4′30″E); Al Mestib Dam (coordinates: 24°48′50″N, 56°5′16″E); Al Khileban Dam (coordinates: 24°48′37″N, 56°5′34″E) and Muzaira'a Dam (coordinates: 24°49′5″N, 56°2′53″E). Shortly after the confluence of Wadi al Amed / Wadi Amid A new dam and pumped storage hydropower plant located near the existing reservoir is under construction. == Archeology ==

A short distance from the Wadi Hatta riverbed, in the area known as Jabal al Yamh, in the territory of Dubai, the archaeological site of Hatta contains more than 50 burials dating from the second half of the third millennium (2500-2000 BC) in accordance with the traditional type of construction of the cemeteries of Umm Al Nar. The petroglyphs discovered there are among the most diverse in the United Arab Emirates. == The protected mountain reserve area and the Ramsar site ==

In 2014, the Dubai Municipality formally established eight protected areas across the Emirate, in order to protect, restore and promote the ecosystems and biodiversity, through a series of scientific research, monitoring, education and sustainable recreation initiatives. Among the protected areas is the Hatta Mountain Reserve, located entirely south of the Hatta enclave, on the NNE slope of the Um Alnosoor / Jabal Hatta (), coinciding with a large part of the upper course of the Wadi Hatta, in a very steep and difficult area. The protected area initially had an area of , but in 2017, when the administrative boundaries between the emirates of Dubai and Ajman were modified, the protected area was reduced to . In January 2019, the same area was declared a Ramsar site of the United Arab Emirates. == Toponymy ==

Alternative names: Wādī Ḥattā, Wādī Ḩattā, Wādī Ḩattā. The name of Wadi Hatta (spelled Wādī Ḩattá), its tributaries, mountains and nearby towns was recorded in the documentation and maps produced between 1950 and 1960 by the British Arabist, cartographer, military officer and diplomat Julian F. Walker, during the work carried out to establish the borders between the then called Trucial States, and later completed by the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom, on scale maps 1:100,000 published in 1971. In the National Atlas of the United Arab Emirates it is spelled Wādī Ḥattā. == Population ==

The Wadi Hatta area was populated mainly by the Washahat tribes, Biduwat, and Bani Kaab. == See also ==