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Emirati traditions

Al Aflaj: Traditional Irrigation

A falaj is a traditional irrigation system that uses an underground tunnel to bring water from an underground source to a basin, where the community draws it. Surface channels then carry it to farms. The know-how has been passed down for 3,000 years.

Updated October 2026 · Facts checked 22 October 2026

Year on the UNESCO list
20201
Year on the UNESCO list

Al Aflaj: Traditional Irrigation

At a glance

At a glance
Item Detail
Name in Arabic الأفلاج
UNESCO list Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Year on the list 2020
Listed by United Arab Emirates

Source: UNESCO: Al Aflaj, traditional irrigation network system in the UAE1

How it works

Water flows on a gentle gradient from the highlands to the plains, and the tunnels cut evaporation. Builders find sources by reading vegetation and other signs, and keep the system open by drilling and clearing mud from the tunnels.1

Sharing the water

The listing covers the oral traditions and skills for sharing water fairly. Community members take part in maintenance, and school field trips help pass the knowledge on.1

Falaj channels in the UAE date back to the Iron Age, between 1300 and 300 BC.2

Sources

  1. UNESCO: Al Aflaj, traditional irrigation network system in the UAE
  2. UAE Government Portal: History
  3. UNESCO: United Arab Emirates, elements on the Intangible Cultural Heritage lists

Facts checked 22 October 2026. Prepared by Invest-Emirates.ae for general information.

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