His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated Al Hefaiyah Lake in Kalba. The lake is located on the Sharjah-Kalba Road, following the Al Hiyar Tunnel.
Al Hefaiyah Lake in Kalba
1. The lake aims to serve as a strategic water reservoir for the city’s people while also enhancing regional environmental variety.
2. Al Hefaiyah Lake is one of Sharjah’s urban infrastructure development projects.
3. Al Hefaiyah Lake has an area of 132,000 square metres.
4. The lake’s development employed the most recent technology, including innovative construction materials suited for the hilly climate and pipes linking the mountains to the lake for surplus water storage, rainwater collection, and valley run-off management.
5. Al Hefaiyah Lake has a capacity of 155 million gallons and a depth of up to four metres.
6. A 3.17-kilometer dual-lane road surrounds the lake, allowing tourists to stroll and take in the scenery.
7. The lake has a 3.2-kilometre-long water conduit that brings water from the lowlands and surrounding mountains into it and drains precipitation.
8. Three barriers and filters have been erected to minimise the entry of valley water into the lake and purify it of contaminants and sediment.
9. Mountain trails span 11.7 kilometres and include a variety of paths of varying lengths and difficulty levels, including the Al Hefaiyah Lake Trail, Eastern Mountain Trail, Southern Al Friesh Mountain Trail, Northern Al Friesh Mountain Trail, and Al Friesh Lake Trail.
10. Shaded play area covers 620 square metres. Vibrant rubber flooring covers the area, which hosts a variety of children’s leisure activities.
11. Marine boats are accessible for guests to tour the lake.
12. The Al Hefaiyah Lake project includes the Al Hefaiyah Rest House, which is 500 square metres.
13. It has a direct view of the lake and Kalba’s high mountains, with hanging gardens and waterfalls on one side and an 8500-square-metre play area and green space on the other.
14. The building has modern architecture with a covered outdoor courtyard. It houses a restaurant and café that serves a range of foreign foods to its visitors.
Al Hefaiyah Mosque
Al Hefaiyah Mosque can accommodate 495 worshippers. The mosque covers an area of 852 square metres and is designed in the Fatimid style and decorated with geometric and floral themes.
It has a 36-metre-tall minaret, a women’s prayer hall for 110 worshippers, an outdoor courtyard for 2040 worshippers, an Islamic library with books on interpretation, jurisprudence, and legal rulings, and several ablution and lavatory areas for men and women.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
