The barasti or Areesh houses. These houses were very airy. The frame was built with four pillars made of mangrove or palm wood. Woven palm leaves were placed between them. The barasti consisted of a central room of 2 m by 4 m, the place of communal life, and a smaller room of 2 m by 2 m which served as a kitchen as well as a pantry, or for the animals.

Bait al Shaar, literally in Arabic the "house of hair". The indissociable shelter of the Bedouin. The more poles there are, the more important is the host of the place and the bigger is the tent which can reach 20 m. Used during the winter in desert areas, it is made of woven goat hair. A woven curtain separates two sections: the men's section is open while the women's is closed to protect from view. Another tent was set up next to it for cooking and storage. The tents of a tribe were arranged in a circle or square. The sheikh's tent was in the middle, so visitors could easily recognize it.

Mashait. This is the architecture of the richest people. These houses were built of dried mud bricks or coral stone, limestone and red clay. The roofs made of wood, mud and straw were covered with palm branches. In the 20th century, the wind tower, ancestor of air conditioning, was imported from Iran. It is called the Barjeel tower. It rises 6 m above the house. Its ingenious system of openings and vertical ducts allows the breeze to ventilate the interior. Above these towers, women dry laundry, adding moisture to the ventilation. The wind towers are strategically placed above the main rooms, such as the majilis or bedrooms. Majilis (meaning meeting place, place to sit) are still present and are plural, as men and women are separated. It is the place to discuss, exchange news, receive guests, family and neighbors. In the house of a sheikh, it is the place to receive grievances. It is an element of Emirati hospitality. The space is covered with carpets on the floor and cushions placed against the wall. In the center, a fire is used to prepare coffee or tea. In large houses, the closest family meets around the inner courtyard farthest from the entrance, which is reached after a succession of other courtyards.