Al Ain is an oasis city and the second largest in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Having a history dating back to the 4th millennium BC, Sheikh Zayed's vision and commitment has seen Al Ain grow into the modern city and one of the greenest in Arabia it is today. Planned as a garden city, the visitor is taken by the multitude of roundabouts, each offering a unique display of water, landscaping and sculpture. Boulevards are tree lined and there are no high rise buildings. Al Ain is the home of the UAE University, the country's largest museum and the biggest zoo, parks, gardens and guest houses. It is also one of the nations leading agricultural centres and is now serviced by a new international airport.

Archaeological excavations have shown that around 3000 B.C., an advanced civilization existed in this area. It was Sheikh Zayed's dream, when he was the Ruler's Representative in Al Ain, to convert it into a greenland. His massive afforestation program then, has today made Al Ain into one of the greenest cities in Arabia. The Ruler's Representative at present is H.H. Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan who carries forward the torch of his illustrious predecesor.. Al Ain's scenic beauty, its entertainment park and museum are a major attraction as a holiday resort. It is also well connected to the rest of the world by its International Airport.

Al Ain is located at about 160 km east of Abu Dhabi and at the same distance south-east of Dubai. It is a one and a half hour drive from both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. There are also domestic and international flights to the Al Ain International airport.

The best times to visit Al Ain are in the winter when time can be spent exploring the ancient archaeological sites, the hot springs in Jebel Hafiz, the zoo etc.