Al Dhaid

Al Dhaid sits in the interior where water from the Hajar mountains comes close enough to the surface to be tapped, and that water made it the agricultural centre of the emirate: date gardens, citrus, mangoes and, more recently, strawberries grown under shade nets and sold at roadside stalls in winter. Falaj channels distribute the water on a rota that was traditionally measured by the sun and the stars. A restored fort stands in the town.

What you actually see

• The falaj channels - the shared irrigation system and its rota of water rights.
• The date gardens - the palm plantations that made the town's economy.
• The strawberry farms - the winter crop sold from roadside stalls.
• The fort - the restored fortification in the town centre.

When to go

November to March; the strawberry season runs through the winter and is the best time for the roadside stalls. Summer is brutally hot and the farms shut. The Al Dhaid date festival is in summer despite the heat.

Honest expectations

There is little formally set up for visitors and most farms are private. The fort has limited opening. Away from the farms the town is workaday with few facilities.

Nearby

Sharjah Safari is south, and Masafi is east.