Wadi Wurayah National Park has officially become the UAE’s first UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, giving one of the country’s most spectacular natural landscapes global recognition. The announcement was made during the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea.
This is the UAE’s third UNESCO World Heritage Site overall, following the Cultural Sites of Al Ain, inscribed in 2011, and the Faya Palaeolandscape in Sharjah, which joined the list in 2025.
Hidden within the Hajar Mountains in Fujairah, Wadi Wurayah has long been known for its rugged scenery, rich biodiversity and rare freshwater habitats. The new UNESCO status shines a spotlight on a destination that offers a completely different side of the UAE.
Why Wadi Wurayah stands out
Spanning 225 square kilometres, Wadi Wurayah National Park is recognised for its Outstanding Universal Natural Value. It is home to the UAE’s only permanent natural waterfall, along with a year-round freshwater network fed by more than 300 springs and 60 streams.
The reserve also supports an impressive range of wildlife, with 1,099 recorded species, including 883 animal species and 216 plant species. Endangered animals such as the Arabian tahr, Blanford’s fox and the rare Arabian caracal all call the park home.
The landscape is equally remarkable from a geological perspective, featuring some of the world’s best-preserved exposures of 90-million-year-old ophiolite rocks, remnants of ancient oceanic crust.
How to visit the national park
After being closed to the public for more than a decade to help its delicate ecosystem recover, Wadi Wurayah National Park has reopened through carefully managed eco-tourism experiences.
Visitors can only enter as part of a pre-booked guided tour, helping to protect the reserve while allowing people to experience its waterfalls, mountain landscapes and wildlife responsibly.
Tours can be booked through Fujairah Holidays, with prices starting from AED 300. For anyone looking to swap the city’s skyline for dramatic mountain views and untouched nature, this newly recognised UNESCO site is well worth adding to the list.
