The Musandam Peninsula, at the northeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, has sometimes been compared to Norway, and not just because it happens to be next to oil-rich waters. Here, the desert flatlands of Ras-Al-Khaimah, the northernmost of the seven United Arab Emirates, give way to a dramatic mountainous landscape interspersed by a labyrinthine succession of coves, bays and inlets. This is a land of desert fjords that can be every bit as magnificent as its Nordic counterpart. The Musandam Peninsula is home to 6 khors: Khor Ash Sham, Khor Najd, Khor Sawan, Khor Rori, Khor Bani Bu Ali, and Khor Ghub.

The mountains in the Musandam Peninsula were formed by the collision of the Arabian and Eurasian plates. This collision caused the crust to buckle and uplift, creating the high mountains that we see today.

The fjords were then formed by the erosion of the sea. The waves and tides of the sea slowly eroded the sides of the mountains, creating deep valleys. The glaciers that once covered the mountains also contributed to the formation of the fjords, by carving out the valleys even further.

The combination of tectonic and erosional forces has created the stunning fjords that we see in the Musandam Peninsula today. These fjords are a unique and beautiful natural wonder, and they are a popular tourist destination.

According to the atlasobscura/CNN