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Nabateans inhabited UAE 4,000 yrs ago

The people of the UAE descended from the Nabateans who came from North Jordan 4,000 years ago and settled in the then uninhabited land, His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council member and ruler of Sharjah said.

Referring to his research and studies in the tribes, Shaikh Sultan said in a call made on Thursday to the live radio programme ‘Al Rabia’a wal nas’, aired from Ajman Channel 4 Radio, that ancient Nabateans hailed from North Jordan which was the first place in the history of mankind to witness social evolution, even before China.

“The social evolution in North Jordan helped transform man of that land from a mere fruit picker from under the trees into a farmer, a hunter of animals and eventually a breeder,” he added.

He said the prosperity of that region made it heavily populated and led to the formation of the Nabateans tribe 6,000 years ago.

Sheikh Sultan went on to say that large numbers of Nabateans used to cross to what is now the UAE and Oman through the coasts of Hijaz Moumtains. They maintained their original Arabic language which is evident by what is known today as ‘Nabathi poetry’.

Sheikh Sultan also spoke in length about the origin of UAE tribes. He said when the Nabateans came to the region which was joined with Africa before the continents separated into their current configurations.