United Arab Emirates–Oman barrier

Al Ain - Buraimi control posts near completion, Dec 2006

The United Arab Emirates–Oman barrier is a border wall or fence, constructed by United Arab Emirates along its border with Oman in an effort to curb the flow of illegal migrants, illicit drugs^[1] and terrorists into the country.^[2] This was built despite the fact that the two countries are both members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

In 2005, the United Arab Emirates and Oman formally signed maps delineating the borders between the two countries from Umm az-Zamul, in the south, northwards to east Eqaidat. The original agreement on the borders was signed in 1999.^[3]

A report on the Virtualtourist website states:

Al Ain (UAE) and Buraimi (Oman) have always been called the two sister oasis: The border was pretty much invisible and the two were essentially one single town. Now the UAE have constructed a border fence with barbed wire at the top right through the oasis, separating Al Ain from Buraimi. In November 2004 crossing into the Omani part was still possible at two points without checks, but the passport signs and checkpoint buildings etc. were already there. A local told us that future arrangements were under discussion. Whatever will come, be warned that in future it may not be possible any longer to visit the Omani side, i.e. Wadi Madbah, Kithnah etc. as well as the picturesque route through the mountains to the Hatta Pools and Hatta that easily. The border fence by the way extends already over tens of kilometers also far outside of Al Ain: it looks, as if the UAE wanted to generally seal off its borders to poorer neighbours. ^[4]

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