The tripartite Dibba on the border of the Emirate of Fujairah with the Omani Musandam is the ideal base for tours to the Hajar Mountains, bathing holidays or excursions to the fantastic underwater world on the east coast of the UAE.
The city of Dibba on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates is the border crossing to the Musandam Peninsula, an exclave in the north of Oman that is cut off from the rest of Oman by Fujairah.
Ceramic finds prove that human settlements existed in Dibba as early as 3,000 years ago. No wonder, because the location at the foot of the Hajar Mountains, where a fertile wadi lined with date palms flows into the Gulf of Oman, is immensely enticing. At the time of the Prophet Mohammed, Dibba, with its large natural harbour, was the largest and most important trading town in Oman, where ships from China, India, Pakistani Sindh and Europe sailed in and out.
Dibba - the city divided into three parts
The entire place is still spread over a large area today and is divided into three parts from north to south: Dibba Al-Baya(Oman), Dibba Al-Hisn(Sharjah, UAE) and Dibba Al-Fujairah(Fujairah, UAE). This three-way division is also clearly visible in the city's development.
The parts in the UAE look clean and well-maintained, while Dibba Al-Baya partly consists of simple mud buildings that are no longer even inhabited. Dibba Al-Baya functions mainly as a border crossing between the UAE and Oman, with a road leading directly to Khasab, the capital of the Omani exclave of Musandam.
While Dibba Al-Hisn, with a large mosque, the eponymous fortress and the fish market, forms the centre of Dibba, the most beautiful bays and beaches are to be found in the north, in Dibba Al-Baya.
Particularly worth mentioning here is the paradisiacal Zighy Bay, where the dreamlike spa hotel Six Senses Hideaway is located. Its breathtaking sandy beach is one of our 10 most beautiful beaches in Oman. No motorised vehicles are allowed in the beautiful bay, either on water or on land. Zighy Bay can only be reached by boat - or paraglider.
Dibba al-Fujairah also attracts visitors with its beautiful sandy beaches and diverse water sports facilities, and is also the ideal base for excursions into the mountains.
Tip: There is virtually no border control between the UAE and Oman within the city, but there is also an official checkpoint. Only the car insurance must be valid for both countries in the case of a rental car. However, it can happen that you are not checked at the checkpoint when "leaving" Oman, but that you are checked when entering the country. So be sure to have your passports with your visa.
Dibba cemetery
The cemetery of Dibba is located outside the city and houses, among others, the thousands of dead who lost their lives in the so-called Ma'rakat al Reddah, the "Battle of the Apostates". This took place in 632 AD when, after the death of Muhammad, rebels rebelled against the then Caliph Abu Bakr in Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
The caliph sent three armies, which successfully put down the uprising and thus also sealed the fate of Dibba, for its heyday was over after the battle.
