Small country with big energy: 350,000 people, 16,000 foreign companies, 127 yuan to refuel and drive across the country

In Ras Al Khaimah, you'd better forget about oil, which is cheaper than water, and forget about prosperous Dubai and Abu Dhabi, because there are no skyscrapers here, only less desolate deserts, and mountains are used for Conquered, the weather is not that hot...

The Ras Al Khaimah that the guide mentioned is actually one of the seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates, with a total population of less than 350,000 and an area of ??about 2,500 square kilometers. , it is difficult to see the specific location clearly on the map if you are not paying attention. However, the small Ras Al Khaimah is known as "the most unusual place in the Arabian Peninsula". Although the modern facilities are not as good as those of the famous Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah still creates many "peninsulas". The most”, such as “the only place on the peninsula with a history of uninterrupted human habitation for 7,000 years”, “the only place on the peninsula where it snows”, “the first to confront the British colonists head-on, and the only one to be bombarded by British ships 6 second Arab Emirate", "the most livable climate on the peninsula", and "the only country on the peninsula with zero oil reserves", etc.

And all of this begins in 1970.

As the only emirate on the peninsula with zero oil reserves, Ras Al Khaimah is destined not to become a "rich man" like Dubai. It can only seek breakthroughs in manufacturing and high-tech industries. It opened in 1971. The first cement factory in the UAE (still the largest in the UAE), and later founded two of the world's largest limestone companies, supplying 80 million tons of limestone to the Middle East every year, and is also one of the world's largest ceramic manufacturers.

In 1980, Ras Al Khaimah invested heavily in introducing medical talents to establish the first pharmaceutical company in the Middle East. It now produces 1.5 million boxes of medicines annually. In 2010, it introduced an automobile production line, with an annual output of about 20,000 cars. ; At the same time, an industrial free zone focusing on aerospace and optical storage media was established. Now it has 16,000 foreign-funded enterprises from 102 countries around the world, covering more than 50 industries, and is known as the "world's largest free zone."

Ras Al Khaimah means "Tent Headland" in the indigenous language, but in fact, in addition to being adjacent to the Persian Gulf in the north, the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah also has an enclave close to the Gulf of Oman, so It was regarded as a strategic location by the major powers in the Middle East at all times. It was able to conduct market trade across the sea with the Middle East, South Asia, Africa and Europe, and it was not easy to fall in the mountainous areas. This was also the main reason why Ras Al Khaimah was able to confront the United Kingdom head-on. The reason is that in order to establish its power and deter other sheikhs, the British did not hesitate to bombard Ras Al Khaimah six times. In 1763 alone, 12,000 soldiers were deployed in one attack. They fought until 1771 before Ras Al Khaimah surrendered. It was properly " Small country, big energy.”

However, what really made Ras Al Khaimah stand out was not the British colonists, nor the large-scale free zones, but the silent but unexpected tourism industry. According to data released by the United Arab Emirates, Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism revenue has increased at an average annual growth rate of 20% for 12 consecutive years, ranking first in the Middle East and the United Arab Emirates.

While emirates such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi are vigorously exploring oil and building infrastructure, Ras Al Khaimah encourages its citizens not to give up traditional industries such as fishing, pearl cultivation, and date palm cultivation. While cities are all proud of their skylines, Ras Al Khaimah emphasizes on maintaining the original appearance of Arab culture, repairing desert castles, supporting Bedouin people’s animal husbandry, etc. The tourism culture is completely different from that of Dubai, instantly attracting hundreds of tourists. Thousands of foreign tourists have a reverse thinking similar to "after eating too much delicacies, they also want to try porridge and side dishes", making Ras Al Khaimah earn a lot of money effortlessly.

What is unexpected is the goodwill of Ras Al Khaimah. In order not to create a sense of alienation among tourists, Ras Al Khaimah requires all 4-star hotels to provide free pick-up and drop-off services from Dubai Airport (a 90-minute drive). Other tourists can also take the "24-hour shuttle bus" (20 dirhams, about 35 yuan), which has free WIFI, drinking water and local maps. In order to prevent tourists from taking the wrong bus due to language barriers, the bus has the destination pattern spray-painted directly on the body.

If you rent a car in Dubai, most car dealers will require a translation of your driver's license and a credit card with international payment. However, when renting a car in Ras Al Khaimah, you only need to provide your original passport and driver's license, and you can pick up the car anytime, anywhere. When you return your car, you can also enjoy a discounted price of no more than 2 dirhams per liter at all gas stations, which is why it is jokingly called "You can drive nationwide with a fuel price of 20 US dollars / 127 yuan."

In order to verify whether this statement is an exaggeration, the guide and I rented a small-displacement self-driving car and visited all 8 famous scenic spots in Ras Al Khaimah for four days and five nights. It was confirmed that the fuel cost of 127 yuan/42 liters of gasoline was enough to complete the journey and there was still one bar left on the fuel gauge.

The first stop is the popular Iceland Water Park in Ras Al Khaimah, but in fact, this is the largest water park in the Middle East covering an area of ??one million square meters (ticket is 175 dirhams, about 300 yuan) , most of the facilities were renovated, and sculptures such as penguins and seals are crudely made. Artificial waterfalls, water football fields, and surfing pools require additional tickets, so the cost-effectiveness is not high. On the contrary, the Al Hamra Resort, which focuses on comprehensive tourism communities, is refreshing. Although only a small part of it is completed, it has pure and pollution-free beaches, hundreds of villas, swimming pools everywhere, and waiters who treat guests indiscriminately. Being polite and so on makes people feel good, which is very different from the "rich are the boss" in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The third stop is the abandoned fishing village of Hamar. Legend has it that it is the seat of the earliest tribe in Ras Al Khaimah. It has a history of 3,200 years. It is also the first place where pearls were artificially cultured in the Arabian Peninsula. It was affected by the oil economy. It was completely moved in 1955.

According to the guide’s explanation, the reason for the relocation of this fishing village is not the decrease in the number of indigenous people, but the fact that most of the houses in the fishing village use coral blocks as building materials. If people continue to live in them, these will inevitably be destroyed. Ancient buildings with a history of thousands of years, so before proper protection measures were found, the villagers were moved to other areas as soon as possible, and the fishing village was completely blocked until 2015 before it was opened in an orderly manner. However, tourists were only allowed to watch from a distance along the road outside the village. The former site of a mosque is open to the public.

Thirty-five kilometers away from the fishing village is Basata Village. This is the first documented pearl collecting place for mankind, with a history of 6,500 years ago. According to research by archaeologists, about 10,000 years ago, Jebel Jais, the highest peak in the United Arab Emirates, was covered with snow all year round. After the snow melted in summer, it converged into a river and flowed into the Persian Gulf through the village of Bassata. The unique shallow salt water attracted a large number of pearl oysters to breed. , in the beginning, the villagers of Basata only used the sharp shells of pearl oysters to cut food, and gradually developed into a huge pearl industry in modern times. Although it is not so large and profitable now, people still use ancient methods to breed and harvest, and the actual export volume Very limited, most of them are purchased by the UAE itself and used to make high-end jewelry.

In my opinion, the biggest tourist highlight of Ras Al Khaimah should be the 30 kilometers of coastline. According to data from the UAE Ministry of Tourism: Ras Al Khaimah prohibits any coastline from being used as a private beach, except for some Except for hotels and resorts that may restrict their opening hours for security reasons, all other beaches should be open to the public free of charge.

Therefore, Internet celebrity shooting spots and free rest areas can be seen everywhere on the beach in Ras Al Khaimah. Thanks to measures such as "reporting will result in a full fine", the beach protection is also in place and almost invisible. Plastic bags, glass bottles and other garbage. The most interesting thing is that local farmers cannot use fishing nets and other man-made facilities to restrict the area where pearl clams can move. As a result, these pearl clams wander around, and some even get stranded on the beach. Whether you can pick pearls depends on the luck of tourists.

In order to attract more adventurous young tourists, Ras Al Khaimah has successively developed a series of outdoor tourism projects, the most popular of which are Desert Crossing, Bedouin Camp Adventure, and Coast-Waterland Self-driving tours, the world’s longest zipline project, and more.

The zipline project highly recommended by local guides is located in the middle of Jebel Jais Mountain. When it opened in early 2018, it was listed in the Guinness World Records with a total length of only 2.8 kilometers and a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour. . But the zipline coach told me that this is only the initial stage of the project, and the second and third sections will be opened later, with a total length of nearly 10 kilometers, directly from the top of the mountain to the training center at the foot of the mountain.

It is worth mentioning that to participate in zipline sports, you need to go through the "flight formalities" in advance. After passing a simple training, you can board the bus to the starting point on the mountainside. Remember to rent GoPro and other shooting equipment in advance. Bring your own equipment. It can only be used after the instructor confirms that it is safe.

If you don’t like outdoor sports, you can also eat, drink and take photos. Although Ras Al Khaimah is located near Dubai, the relative tourist prices are not that exaggerated. There are factors such as the port transshipment center and the lack of local requirements. Paying consumption tax is related to personal income tax, private business tax, corporate tax and other measures. The overall price is about 15-40% lower than in Dubai, especially for food and accommodation consumption. B&Bs and restaurants opened by locals are basically based on volume (reaching the turnover There will be government subsidies as standard), and the per capita consumption level of three to four hundred yuan per day is also quite common.

The next stop is Umm Al Quwain, the emirate with the smallest population in the UAE (less than 50,000).