Watch: Hatta’s stunning Leem Lake, farms with charity endowment that dates back 130 years

Did you know that there is a farm in Dubai’s Hatta which contains the oldest documented charitable endowment in the history of the UAE? Sharia Farms’ charitable endowment dates back 130 years. They home ancient farms that have been passed down for generations.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, visited the farm recently as he reviewed progress of key development projects in Hatta.

According to Visit Hatta, the farms grow palms, wheat, mango, sorghum millet, lemon, wild figs, and millet. “These farms’ lands have been endowed by their people for good since ancient times,” the website says.

Masterplan for Hatta

Sheikh Ahmed drove down to Hatta to review progress on projects that form the first two phases of an ambitious master development plan.

He visited the stunning Leem Lake.

At the Hatta Dam, he was briefed about the ongoing construction of Dewa’s hydroelectric power plant. The first project of its kind in the GCC, the pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in Hatta will have a production capacity of 250 megawatts (MW), and a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours.

A video he shared shows him being briefed about the Hatta Sustainable Waterfalls project. Inspired by the hexagonal beehive, the project’s four oases are linked with bridges crossing the water canal.

Sheikh Ahmed visited the Hatta Border Crossing, which handles entry and exit procedures for 350,000 travellers per month.

At the Hatta Municipality, he was briefed about the development of archaeological sites, and their nomination to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Tentative List.

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