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Reason behind the names “Yidiyah” and “Al Fargh” and the meaning of “Al Iraqayn”
His Highness pointed out that at the northern end of this plain lies a well known as “Yidiyah”. He explained that the word “Yidiyah” refers to a well where water lies at a shallow depth, prompting people to use the “Rasha” (rope) to extract water by pulling it by hand. Hence, the well was named “Yidiyah” in reference to the use of the hand to pull the rope.
His Highness also referred to another type of well where the water lies at a much greater depth, known as “Al Fargh”. This well is equipped with a rope pulley at the top. He explained that the name “Fargh” derives from the act of emptying (discharging) the water, as when the rope is pulled and the bucket reaches the top, the man or woman holds the bucket by the “Iraqayn” and empties the water into a basin, hence the meaning “to discharge the water”.
His Highness explained that the meaning of the word “Iraqayn” indicates that when the bucket is lowered to the bottom of the well to draw water, it may close and fail to fill properly. Therefore, people would bring flexible tree branches, place them along the rim of the bucket, and bend the top of the bucket over them to keep it open and extended while being lowered, allowing it to fill with water without obstruction.
His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi explained that “Yidiyah” is an authentic classical Arabic name and one of the genuine names used in the Bedouin environment, and that “Sahla” is an authentic Arabic word meaning the bowl used for collecting water or camel’s milk. He noted that there is also another traditional method of milking camels, whereby the camel is made to stand on one leg and kneel on its knee, after which the bowl is placed to ensure the milking process is carried out properly.
His Highness revealed the meaning of the name “Al Madam”, the area in which Al Ghareef plain is located. He explained that “Al Madam”, with the letter “m” pronounced with a damma (u sound), means “the permanent” or “continuous”, referring to the persistence of rainfall in the area during both summer and winter, from which the name was derived.
His Highness went on to explain the geological structure and terrain of the mountains in the Mleiha area. He stated that monsoon winds blow from the Indian Ocean and strike Sri Lanka in the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, then move towards the coasts of the Sindh region in Pakistan. There, they collide with cold winds coming from Russia, which push them southwards again until they collide with the Hajar Mountains.
He noted that the Hajar Mountains alone have a complete geological story, explaining that they were displaced from the Zagros Mountains along the Persian coast. He pointed out that the geological fracture along the Persian coast occurred as a result of the Arabian Peninsula colliding with Persia, causing the Hajar Mountains to detach from the Zagros range.
His Highness added that he conducted scientific research in this area and sent experts, researchers, and geologists, obtaining the necessary permits to prove the relationship between the rocks of the Hajar Mountains and those in Persia. Persian scientists responded that the rocks that detached from the Zagros Mountains fell into the sea, but His Highness objected and replied that they did not fall into the sea, but rather became part of the territory of the United Arab Emirates.
He explained that when these rocks were displaced, the land consisted of limestone mountains. The collision caused the limestone mountains to move into the UAE, extending 10 to 15 kilometres westwards, forming the mountain range of the Mleiha area along the edge of the desert.
The Ruler of Sharjah said that in Mleiha area there are high mountains distinguished by their clearly black colour. He explained that this blackness is due to a type of rock found in the deep layers of the earth that contain petroleum. He added that these black mountains are inverted from the deep layers of the earth. He noted that similar black rocks were discovered in deep underground layers during the drilling of oil wells.
His Highness revealed that he conducted extensive geological research on this subject and concluded that these rocks originated from deep within the earth as a result of geological changes over time. He explained that this part of the Mleiha mountains, along with parts of the Sur region and surrounding areas in the Sultanate of Oman, had previously been submerged beneath the sea. This explains the presence of fossilised marine creatures such as shells, snails, and others found on them.
His Highness urged the need to understand the details of the formation of the land we live on and to disseminate geological sciences and other precise fields of knowledge to the public. He called on his sons and daughters to pursue advanced postgraduate studies across various disciplines, noting that people today are increasingly interested in all forms of science and deep knowledge, and that there must be competition with the world’s scholars through strong arguments, compelling evidence, dignity, and high morals — not through ignorance.
His Highness pointed out that others seek to erase others from existence, and that this must be confronted with strong arguments, compelling evidence, and deep knowledge — first within ourselves and then towards others.
His Highness expressed his hope that the sons and daughters of the nation will live up to his expectations by continuing to pursue advanced and precise higher studies across all scientific disciplines, striving to uncover scientific explanations for geographical and geological phenomena rather than merely observing them, and not limiting themselves to the acquisition of academic certificates alone. He stressed that the distance between excellence and mere acceptability in academic achievement is long and vast.
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