Al Jazirah Al Hamra

Al Jazirah Al Hamra, on the coast south of Ras Al Khaimah, was abandoned almost overnight around 1968 when its Za'ab tribe residents relocated to Abu Dhabi after a leadership dispute, leaving coral-stone houses, a mosque and a fort to the desert wind. Locals across the UAE now call it the country's most haunted village, centering many stories on the legend of Umm Al Duwais, a jinn said to appear as a beautiful woman with her face hidden by a black abaya and feet like camel's hooves, luring unwary men into the ruins at night. Visitors and paranormal enthusiasts report disembodied whispers and shifting shadows inside the old mosque after dark. Heritage authorities began restoring the site as a preservation village in 2010, work still ongoing as of 2025.