Buhais Geology Park in inland Sharjah costs AED 10.50 for adults, children under 12 go free, and it is closed on Tuesdays. Inside five pods shaped like fossil sea urchins, it tells the story of a seabed that is now desert, with marine fossils more than 65 million years old, then an outdoor trail leads past Bronze Age tombs on the slopes of Jebel Buhais. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. Ten minutes away, the Mleiha Archaeological Centre (adults AED 25) covers 200,000 years of human history at the UNESCO-listed Faya site. Both are reachable by ordinary car about an hour from Dubai. Fossil Rock and Camel Rock, by contrast, can now only be visited on the centre’s organised tours.
At a glance
- Buhais tickets
- AED 10.50; free under 12, UAE resident seniors 60+, people of determination plus one carer
- Buhais hours
- Mon, Wed, Thu 9am to 7pm; Fri 2pm to 7pm; Sat and Sun 11am to 7pm; closed Tuesday
- Mleiha centre
- Adults AED 25, children 3 to 12 AED 15, family AED 55
- Mleiha hours
- 9am to 7pm; to 9pm on Thursday and Friday
- From Dubai
- About 1 hour; sedan fine on paved roads
- Fossil Rock
- Organised tours only, booked through the Mleiha centre
- Best months
- October to April
Last checked: 13 October 2026 against Sharjah’s Environment and Protected Areas Authority and Mleiha Archaeological Centre listings. Hours change in Ramadan and on public holidays.
On this page
Buhais Geology Park: what you see
Also called Buhais Geological Park, and officially the Buhais Geology Park Interpretive Centre, it is run by the Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA). The park sits at the foot of Jebel Buhais, a limestone ridge between Al Madam and Mleiha, about 50 km south-east of Sharjah city. Millions of years ago this was a warm, shallow sea, and its rocks are still full of fossil corals, shells and sea urchins from the Cretaceous period.
| Part | What is there |
|---|---|
| The pods | Five linked pods by Hopkins Architects, shaped after the fossil sea urchins found on site, with a sixth service pod; about 2,320 square metres in all |
| Hall 1 | Interactive displays on how the land and sea formed |
| Hall 2 | Fossils and excavated rocks from the site |
| Theatre | An immersive film on Sharjah’s natural heritage |
| Children’s corner | Drawing and fossil-matching activities |
| Outdoor trail | Raised walkways, viewing points and a shaded classroom, leading to tombs from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages, including the Wadi Suq period, and rock formations |
| Café and shop | Panoramic views over the plain; Arabian oryx often graze in the reserve outside |
The building has won several architecture awards, including from RIBA. Guides are available in Arabic and English, and there are lockers, a mosque and a garden. The first part of the outdoor trail is step-free; the upper section has steps.
Buhais tickets and timings
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adults | AED 10.50 |
| Children under 12 | Free |
| UAE resident seniors 60+ | Free |
| People of determination and one carer | Free |
| School and university groups | About AED 2.50 and AED 5.50 a student |
The ticket office closes at 6:15pm. Listings disagree slightly on closing time (7pm or 7:30pm), so arrive by 5pm to see everything. Phone +971 6 801 2100 to check holiday hours.
Mleiha Archaeological Centre
Opened in January 2016 by Shurooq, the centre is built around a 4,000-year-old Umm an-Nar tomb and tells the story of people in this desert from the Stone Age to the pre-Islamic kingdom of Mleiha. It is the gateway to Mleiha National Park, established by the Ruler of Sharjah in 2024, and to the Faya (Al Faya) Palaeolandscape, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2025 as the first desert Palaeolithic site on the list, with evidence of people living here more than 200,000 years ago.
| Ticket or activity | Price or detail |
|---|---|
| Museum, adults (12+) | AED 25 |
| Museum, children 3 to 12 | AED 15; under 3 free |
| Family (2 adults, 3 children) | AED 55 |
| Archaeological tour | 1 to 1.5 hours to Iron Age palace ruins and burial sites; about AED 190 adults, AED 105 children via resellers |
| SUV landscape tour | 1 hour through the dunes to Camel Rock and Fossil Rock; about AED 175 adults |
| Dune buggy landscape tour | 1 hour; minimum age 8 and height 140 cm |
| Sand Surfer | Off-road drive with sandboarding; ages 13+ |
| Horse riding | Arena rides with views of Fossil Rock and the Faya range; pony rides for children |
| Stargazing | Guided and private sessions on clear winter nights |
| Fossil expeditions and workshops | Family activities; the flora and fauna workshop suits ages 5+ |
The museum opens from 9am to 7pm, and until 9pm on Thursday and Friday; last tickets are sold 30 minutes before closing. Book tours in advance through the Mleiha Archaeological Centre, especially for winter weekends.
Fossil Rock and Camel Rock: how to visit legally
No private vehicles: in January 2026, Shurooq, which runs Mleiha, warned that public access to Mleiha National Park is limited to approved, organised activities supervised by the Mleiha Archaeological Centre, booked through the centre and on designated routes. Unauthorised entry by any vehicle brings fines and legal action. Older guides that describe driving or hiking up Fossil Rock on your own are out of date.
Fossil Rock (Jebel Mleiha) is a limestone outcrop rising from the red dunes, studded with marine fossils, and Camel Rock is a wind-sculpted formation nearby. Today you see them on the centre’s SUV, dune buggy or Sand Surfer tours. The mountains and the ancient landscape around Faya are protected, so do not collect fossils anywhere in the area.
Sedan or 4×4?
| Place | Access |
|---|---|
| Buhais Geology Park | Paved road and car park; any car |
| Mleiha Archaeological Centre | Paved road and car park; any car |
| Fossil Rock and Camel Rock | Only in the centre’s tour vehicles |
There is no public transport, and a taxi from Dubai costs about AED 200 each way with few cabs for the return, so drive or book a tour with transfers.
Getting there
From Dubai, take Emirates Road (E611) towards Sharjah and the Sharjah to Kalba road (E102) east; Mleiha is about 55 km from Sharjah, and Buhais is just off the road between Al Madam and Mleiha. Allow about an hour from Dubai and 1 hour 15 minutes from Ajman. The same road continues to Kalba and Khor Fakkan.
A one-day plan
- 10am: Mleiha Archaeological Centre and the Umm an-Nar tomb.
- 11:30am: an archaeological or SUV tour to the dig sites, Camel Rock and Fossil Rock.
- 1pm: lunch at the centre’s café or in Al Madam.
- 2:30pm: Buhais Geology Park (from 11am at weekends; closed Tuesdays) and its trail in the softer afternoon light.
- Evening (winter): stay for a stargazing session at Mleiha, or continue to Sharjah Desert Park or Sharjah Safari on another day.
Best time to visit
- October to April for the outdoor trail and tours; the trail has little shade.
- Weekday mornings at Mleiha and weekday afternoons at Buhais are quietest.
- Winter nights for stargazing, away from the city lights; see stargazing in the UAE.
- Places to visit in Sharjah: free and paid stops.
- Day trips from Dubai: routes by drive time.
- Hiking in the UAE: trails by level.
Buhais Geology Park and Mleiha FAQs
How much is Buhais Geology Park?
AED 10.50 for adults. Children under 12, UAE resident seniors aged 60 and over, and people of determination with one carer enter free.
Is Buhais Geology Park open on Tuesdays?
No. It is closed on Tuesdays. It opens 9am to 7pm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 2pm to 7pm on Friday, and 11am to 7pm at weekends.
How much is the Mleiha Archaeological Centre?
AED 25 for adults, AED 15 for children aged 3 to 12, and AED 55 for a family of two adults and three children. Tours cost extra.
Can I drive to Fossil Rock myself?
No. Since January 2026, access to Mleiha National Park, including Fossil Rock, is limited to organised activities booked through the Mleiha Archaeological Centre, and unauthorised vehicles face fines.
Do I need a 4×4 for Buhais and Mleiha?
No. Both visitor centres are on paved roads. You only travel off-road on the centre’s own tours.
Is Mleiha a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
The Faya Palaeolandscape at Mleiha was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2025, as the first desert Palaeolithic site on the list.