Man-made oases

There is virtually no natural oasis in the deserts of Dubai, barring a few in the Hatta area in the Hajar mountain range.

However, many agricultural, horticultural fields and stations cultivating fruits located in the city or suburbs often work like mini oases.

While driving recently through the desert, I came upon a few blocks of semi-evergreen patches developed by the Dubai government as man-made oases.

These areas were possibly meant to provide a breather for endurance horse racers and enable both the rider and the animal to take short breaks. The area is fenced off to keep outsiders away. In each block are date palm and ghaf trees and desert grass. This is the only green spot in the middle of a couple of square kilometres of a desert patch in Dubai.