The coastline is only partially surveyed, and some shoals and reefs are reported to be uncharted. Coral reefs and rocks, however,are generally discernible as dark patches, and sand bars and shoals can be easily identified as yellowish green patches near the shore area. The bottom is usually visible in depths of 6.5 to 9.2m.

The prevailing wind is the NW shamal, but in winter it is often interrupted by winds from varying directions. Squalls are common throughout the year. A high degree of refraction or mirage occurs along all of this coast, especially in the early morning. The land features become greatly distorted, villages sometimes appear as clumps of rounded trees, and small uncharted hillocks or dunes assume a considerable height.
The whole of the coastal strip is desert plain, with a few small isolated hills and scattered tablelands, and is backed by alternating regions of drifting sand and patches of rock and salt flats. There are many salt creeks and tidal backwaters, the entrances of which are often changed by the wind, swell, and tidal scour.
The towns are all very similar in appearance. Because of the hard bottom in many places, anchorage off the whole E portion of the Trucial Coast is poor. On the approach of a winter shamal, which in this vicinity blows from WNW or even from W, vessels should leave their anchorage. In winter, vessels should anchor farther offshore than in summer.

The UAE are a federation of 7 emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al -Quwain. There are situated between Arabian Gulf and Oman Gulf. The capital is Abu Dhabi, which is also the state's center of political, industrial, and cultural activities.

Its oil reserves are ranked as the world's sixth-largest and the UAE possesses one of the most-developed economies in West Asia.

Weather:

The prevailing wind during the summer months is the NW shamal, but between October and March, the shamal is often interrupted by the SE kaus, the NE nashi, or the SW suahili.
From June to September, the shamal blows over the whole area of the Persian Gulf, producing rough seas, stirring up dust clouds that affect visibility at sea, and reaching a considerable force which lasts for several days at a time.

Winter storms which pass through the gulf region are generally preceded by S winds and seas, which usually veer to NW behind the storm.
Cold fronts occasionally penetrate the area with these storms, accompanied by squalls and seas of variable direction, and are followed by a shamal. Summer winds and seas seldom vary from a NW direction.
The climate of the Arabian Peninsula as a whole is dry and hot. Average annual rainfall is minimal, except in some of the higher areas. Precipitation is erratic; long droughts are common but may be broken by intense downpours which result in flash floods.
Temperatures are moderate in winter but high in summer and are reported extremely high in the interior on summer afternoons.
Evening temperatures are low enough to offer relief from oppressive daytime heat.
Relative humidity at coastal locations is high throughout the year; it is greatest in the early morning and lowest in the afternoon, except at some places on the coast, where the afternoon sea breezes bring moist and cooler air over the land area.

Tides - Currents:

The currents in the Persian Gulf have a predominantly counterclockwise circulation throughout the year. In that part of the gulf covered by this sector, there are sometime strong currents in the SE part which set between NE and E, especially in January and in April, May, and June.

In the latter period, some water continues to flow into the Persian Gulf, but these currents trend more to the N side of the gulf. Any notable local peculiarities in tides and currents are described with the related features.

Caution should be exercised when navigating within the vicinity of these oil fields as production platforms, submarine pipelines, and various other hazards, both above and belowwater, may be present.