New alfresco cafe pop-up launched at Abu Dhabi's fossil dunes

Fossil fuel…

How do you take your coffee? How about a flat white with no sugar and a side of 120,000 year old nature-forged dune art?

That’s the reality presented by Fosil, a new alfresco cafe pop-up at the recently upgraded and enhanced Al Wathba Fossil Dune Protected Area.

It’s a concept by coffee whizkids, WKND and adds a welcome dose of baristas to these uniquely enchanting vistas.

The set up looks pretty dreamy, with cosy beanbag and table enclaves dotted about the area; a jet black food truck dishing out gastro-treats; potted cacti and mirrored pillars offering a little extra IG feed fodder; and a background playlist of atmospheric Arabian music.

What else can we see at Al Wathba Fossil Dune Protected Area?

The reserve features a visitor centre, a viewing area, an amphitheatre and 7kms of hike-able trails with educational signage explaining the origins and cultural significance of these magnificent sand relics.

It’s part of a cohesive, emirate-wide project to display and celebrate artefacts of importance to the UAE’s heritage, and to help protect them for future generations to enjoy.

What are the fossil dunes?

The technical name for these, what are essentially ‘dune skeletons’, is ‘lithified sand dunes’. The types seen at Al Wathba were created from cross-bedded dunes, formed at their core by ground water depositing layers of calcium carbonate (chalk) and other similar salts during the glacial period.

Images: Miro.PX via Instagram