Halloween 2026: 3 most haunted places in the UAE and their spooky stories

From deep in the desert dunes come stories of things that go bump in the night, of abandoned villages and windows where ghostly echoes linger. No matter how familiar we become to the cloud-reaching skyline of the UAE cities, there'll always be the tales of djinn, magic, and specters that follow people around (especially around campfires). Of course, if you look a bit closer, you will find interwoven with these eerie tales, a history steeped in movement, architectural details that draw from trade with various places across the world, and locations that invite visitors to see the 'truth' for themselves.

Happy Halloween. Here are some local hauntings that will give you goosebumps.

Creaks that break the quiet of the night, chandeliers that invite cobwebs and flicking lightbulbs, and windows famous for shadows and blurred faces – this is Al Qasimi Palace in Ras Al Khaimah, reportedly home to hauntings. The palace – a sprawling 35-room, four-storey building that took 10 years to build – welcomed its first owners in 1985. Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Humaid Al Qasimi, who built the house, was known for his love of art and culture. He built the domicile with a marble façade that leads to an interior that housed artefacts and paintings with Islamic, Moroccan, and Persian roots. The construction itself was grand - built atop a hill in Al Dhait North, it reportedly cost Dh500 million.

The rumours began a day after the Al Qasimi family moved into the house. After months of tweaking the aesthetics and living quarters to be just so, the family rushed out after one night, claiming it was haunted. Since then there have been several ‘spots of mysterious figures’ and eery noises. Some have attributed the night howls to the gusting of wind through narrow channels, others suggest trespassers in the shadows. One way or the other, it remained empty of residents until 2019, when it was bought by Tareq Ahmad Al Sharhan, renovated and renamed Al Qasr Al Ghamedh.

It is also at this time that it began to welcome visitors. A natural draw, the palace is open to everyone from 9am to 8pm every day with tickets priced at Dh75.

Now, things are said to be changing again – the palace is reportedly in the market once more, with a price tag of between Dh22.5 million and Dh25 million. Would you visit or stay here?

The crackle of wind against coral, the susurration as sands shift and night covers day, and the occasional crumble of structures that have been around for decades gives this once-pearling village an electric atmosphere. Some say there are djinn in the homes once lived in by pearling tribes, others suggest it’s the echoes of memories that you catch as you walk though the ruins.

Today, this area hosts an annual art festival, allows heritage tours, and, sometimes, turns sets for movies.

It used to be an example of simple, clever ways to harness nature to keep things cool in the middle of the desert. It was also home to the Zaab tribe, which vacated the red-duned space between 1968 and 1971, driven by the finding of oil. The sudden city-bound exodus resulted in whispers of hauntings.

Known also as Al Jazeera Al Za’ab, after the tribe who called the town home, this area has been named officially listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Tentative List. It also became the backdrop of several Hollywood movies including War Machine.

Christian Velde, a Senior Archaeologist and Researcher at Ras Al Khaimah’s Department of Antiquities and Museums, says on the official Ras Al Kahimah website: "It is the last and only pearl diving, pearl merchant and seafaring town on this side of the Gulf. All the other villages and towns along the Gulf coasts have been lost to modern development. Al Jazirah Al Hamra is the only place to preserve the traditional way of life before oil and modernisation."

Today, visitors and residents can walk though Al Hamra Village, home to modern hotels, restaurants and residences, as well as a large shopping mall. Shoot your own horror movie here? Can’t get more atmospheric.

What does it look like when sand seeps into the pores of your home, redecorating with what feels like maddening purpose – one you can’t follow? The homes in this Sharjah village were made right after the formation of the UAE, for its once nomadic people. But in a move reminiscent of bad luck or black magic, the desert started to come in through the doors and windows. No matter how they swept it, the sand seemed to linger, multiplying when people weren’t looking. Local folklore puts the onus of de-homing on djinns. But over the years, it’s become the perfect spot for scary storytelling and photography.

The entire encampment consists of two rows of houses and a central mosque. Take a seat on a bump. Maybe you’ll hear ghosties at play.