Masafi Friday Market

The Friday Market at Masafi grew up where the road from the interior crosses into the mountains, and the name is a leftover: it started as a weekly market and now opens every day. Stalls run along both sides of the highway selling carpets and rugs brought from Iran and Central Asia, unglazed clay pots made locally, fruit and vegetables from the mountain farms, honey, plants and household goods. Masafi is also where the bottled water of that name is drawn.

What to look for

• The carpet stalls - rugs from Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia along the roadside.
• The clay pottery - unglazed water jars and pots made in the area.
• The produce stalls - fruit, vegetables and honey from the mountain farms.
• The pass setting - a market at the point where the road enters the mountains.

When to go

Open daily despite the name; mornings and late afternoons are best. October to April is most comfortable. Weekends bring the most stalls and the most traffic.

Practical notes

Prices start high for anyone who looks like a tourist and bargaining is expected. Much of the pottery and carpet stock is imported rather than local. It is directly on a busy highway and crossing between the sides is unpleasant.

Nearby

Wadi Shees is northeast, and Fujairah city is southeast.