Social:Al Madam
Al Madam (Arabic: ٱلْـمَـدَام) is an inland town of the Emirate of Sharjah, the UAE. Located at the intersection of the Dubai-Hatta (E44) and Mleiha-Shwaib (E55) roads, its development has mainly centred around these road links and the road traffic through Hatta to Oman. The volume of traffic to Oman through Madam and Hatta has lessened since the closure of the 'soft' Omani border at Mahda in 2016,[1] although traffic volumes remain at some 5,000 travellers daily.[2] The road from Madam to Hatta is now only open to UAE or Omani nationals and permit holders.[1]
Description
The strip development of Madam along the E44 towards the 'dune bashing' tourist centre[3] of Badayer (with its celebrated 'Big Red'[4] sand dune) has resulted in the town becoming elongated, and includes the 'first shopping mall' to open there.[5] This is in addition to municipal facilities, a medical centre,[6] wedding hall[7] and a large number of shops located along the main street of the town. Al Madam is home to an annual shopping festival.[8]
In an area of desert to the south of Madam, a small and deserted development of houses and a mosque can be found, referred to locally as both Madam Old Town and Ghost Town. The area around Al Madam is also home to a number of Iron Age archaeological sites, including those of Al Thuqaibah and Jebel Buhais, as well as aflāj (water systems) dating back to the 1st millennium BC.[9]
See also
- Al Ain, connected by road to Al-Shwaib of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, connected to Al-Madam by road[10]
- List of Ancient Settlements in the UAE
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Guides, Dona Cherian, Special to (2016-01-05). "Al Madam-Hatta diversion: Expats not allowed on Oman E44". GulfNews. http://gulfnews.com/guides/travel/al-madam-hatta-diversion-expats-not-allowed-on-oman-e44-1.1648517.
- ↑ Reporter, Ali Al Shouk, Staff (2018-01-09). "5,000 travellers crossing Hatta border daily". GulfNews. http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/transport/5-000-travellers-crossing-hatta-border-daily-1.2154401.
- ↑ Guides, Angitha Pradeep, Special to (2016-11-29). "Top 5 UAE desert locations for 4x4 dune-bashing". GulfNews. http://gulfnews.com/guides/going-out/top-5-uae-desert-locations-for-4x4-dune-bashing-1.1547584.
- ↑ Publishing, Explorer. "Big Red". http://www.askexplorer.com/uae/activities/offroading/routes/find-a-route/big-red-162666.
- ↑ "First shopping mall opens in Al Madam | Sharjah Update" (in en-US). http://www.sharjahupdate.com/2017/12/first-shopping-mall-opens-in-al-madam/.
- ↑ "Ministry of Health and Prevention announces 24-hour operations of Al Madam Medical Center" (in en). Al Bawaba. 2016-04-19. https://www.albawaba.com/business/pr/ministry-health-and-prevention-announces-24-hour-operations-al-madam-medical-center-8307.
- ↑ "Sharjah Al Madam Wedding Hall". https://www.protenders.com/companies/sheikh-khalifa-bin-zayed-al-nahyan-foundation/projects/sharjah-al-madam-wedding-hall.
- ↑ Abdullah, Afkar. "Al Madam festival to honour 'Zayeds'". https://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/sharjah/al-madam-festival-to-honour-zayed-shopping-year.
- ↑ "Another ancient Sharjah site found by archaeologists" (in en). The National. https://www.thenational.ae/uae/another-ancient-sharjah-site-found-by-archaeologists-1.4226.
- ↑ "Dubai-Al Ain Road renamed". WAM (Al Ain: Gulf News). 2018-11-02. https://gulfnews.com/news/uae/transport/dubai-al-ain-road-renamed-1.2296992.
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