Lake Zakher
A lake in the desert outside Al Ain that nobody set out to make. It formed when treated water released onto the land raised the groundwater until it reached the surface, leaving a sheet of open water among the sand.
- Where
- Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 24.0891, 55.6335
Get the Lake Zakher stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Lake Zakher. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Abu Dhabi volume with your photos and a note.
Near Lake Zakher
Al Ain Zoo 14 km
A 400-hectare wildlife park in the foothills of Jebel Hafeet, given over mostly to grazing animals such as Arabian oryx, eland, gazelle and lechwe. It also keeps rare white lions and Nubian giraffes, among 68 species of mammals, 88 of birds and 35 of reptiles.
Jebel Hafeet 15 km
A bare limestone mountain on the border with Oman, rising south of Al Ain as an outlier of the Hajar range. A winding road climbs to the top for views over the city and the desert, and hot springs feed the green park at its foot.
Qasr Al Muwaiji 18 km
A fort in the middle of Al Ain, the birthplace of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, later the second President of the UAE. His father, Sheikh Zayed, was based here while he served as the Ruler's Representative for the Eastern Region.
Al Jahili Fort 19 km
A mud-brick fort built in 1891 in an Al Ain oasis to protect the date farmers, with a round, tiered corner tower. It later housed the Trucial Oman Scouts, and now holds an exhibition on the explorer Wilfred Thesiger.
Al Ain Palace Museum 19 km
The former home of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, at the edge of the Al Ain Oasis. Its sand-coloured courtyards and rooms have been kept as a museum of how the family lived before the UAE was founded.
Sheikh Khalifa Grand Mosque 19 km
The largest mosque in Al Ain and one of the largest in the country, open to the public since April 2021. It is named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the UAE from 2004 until 2022.
Al Ain Oasis 19 km
The largest oasis in Al Ain, a shaded maze of date palm groves in the middle of the city. The palms are still watered by falaj, the old channels that carry water across the gardens, and the oasis is part of the cultural sites of Al Ain listed by UNESCO.
Al Ain National Museum 20 km
The oldest museum in the UAE, founded in 1969. It covers the archaeology, history and traditional life of the Al Ain region, and holds finds from the area's ancient tombs and settlements.
More hidden gems in Abu Dhabi
Questions
Where is Lake Zakher?
Lake Zakher is in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Al Ain Zoo (14 km), Jebel Hafeet (15 km), Qasr Al Muwaiji (18 km).
How do I get the Lake Zakher stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Lake Zakher and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Abu Dhabi volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Lake Zakher before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Abu Dhabi volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.