00:00Jebel Kiwi commanded our attention as we prepared to trek through the northern Hajar mountains.
00:22It was early morning but the open space allowed for the sun to point directly at us.
00:27Our destination? An abandoned settlement an hour's hike deep into the mountains.
00:33With every step came equally stunning views.
00:36It's no surprise this trail is so popular with both hikers and nature enthusiasts.
00:41But not many know about the village. It's still a best-kept secret.
00:48In the distance, a splash of green was a sign we had found what we were looking for.
00:53The abandoned village, hundreds of years old.
01:00We're standing at Ali Khabad, an abandoned settlement located in the middle of northern
01:05Hajar mountains, an hour and a half to two hours journey from Dubai.
01:10People lived here until 40 years ago and apparently people started to leave these settlements
01:15in the mountains because there were more job opportunities in town and also lack of water
01:20and rail for in the region.
01:22People still come here once in a while on the weekends, especially when the weather
01:26is cooler. They stay here with the whole family during the weekend. Otherwise, you get to
01:32see people coming here from Dubai and other emirates for trekking and then they just pass
01:37by.
01:38Only one man, a humble caretaker, lives here and looks after the property.
01:46Old stone houses, stone beds and a basic kitchen. Historic reminders of a tribal past.
01:54There hasn't been any rain recently so the corn rows are all dried up. Still, the caretaker
02:01never complains. He remains more hospitable than we could have imagined.
02:09After visiting, I knew this would be a perfect place to camp out someday, maybe when it's
02:17a little cooler.
02:19Mail Shush, Explore.
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