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The United Arab Emirates has emerged as an important tourism and business hub in its region.

Unknown to many people, it is the home of a diverse number of animal and plant life, some of which can only be found here.

The Geography of the UAE and Dubai

For a relatively small country, the United Arab Emirates houses a diverse array of wildlife. From its mangrove areas to its sand and gravel plains, the country serves as the perfect habitat for many species of plants and animals.

One of the most essential features of the country's geography is its coastline, bound by both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Another vital part of the country's geography is its sand dunes and oases, including the Rub' al Khali desert, Liwa Oasis, and the Al-Buraimi Oasis.

In the northwest, the Al Hajar Mountains can be found. In the southeast, Lake Zakher, a man-made lake, serves as a home for many birds.

Animal Life

The UAE serves as a home to over 400 species of birds. Of this number, about 90 percent regularly breed inside the country while the remainder consists of migratory birds. In fact, the UAE is in the middle of two migratory routes for birds.

During the peak of the migration season, UAE's shores and mudflats are visited by roughly 250,000 birds, including different species of plovers and sandpipers. This is apart from the various seabirds which stay in the country's coasts and offshore islands, the most notable of which are the Socotra cormorants. Other seabirds which can be found along the coast are the less crested tern, sooty gulls, and red-billed tropic birds.

Along Abu Dhabi's waters, the most significant number of Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins can be found.

The country's salt flats, dunes, deserts, and mountains may seem inhospitable to life, and yet there is a sizable number of wildlife that have adapted to what may seem to be harsh landscapes. These include different species of birds like the desert lark, warblers, bulbuls, feral goats and donkeys, the Arabian oryx, mountain gazelle, Arabian wolf, Arabian wildcat, cape hare, desert hedgehog, striped hyena, and the Asiatic caracal.

Numerous species of reptiles also call the UAE their home. Reptiles like the worm lizard, saw-scaled viper, horned gecko, green sea turtles, sea snakes, and sand boa can be found in different environments in the country, from cities to deserts.

Under Threat

While the UAE's diversity of wildlife is nothing short of outstanding, many species of animals face grave danger brought about by different risks ranging from fishing to development.

For example, the country's sand cats have become challenging to find. Although the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has rated the global population of these felines as a least concern species (one that is not a focus of species conservation), it is a significant concern in the UAE.

Another species that is being closely monitored in the UAE is the Carter's Rock Gecko. Although the IUCN has also categorized the reptile as a least concern species, there is the real threat of extinction if the changes in its habitat are not stopped.

The Emirati leaf-toed gecko's population is also under threat, with its population slowly dwindling due to development. This reptile is of great importance because it is an endemic species, with the Khor Fakkan being its sole home.

Threats like fishing, boat strikes, and changes in the water condition threaten dugongs, leading to stringent conservation actions from both the private and government sectors.

Small and Big Victories in Conservation

Despite these different threats, it's not all gloom and doom. In fact, due to the concerted effort of different sectors, the UAE has attained several wins in its conservation efforts, including the presence of wildlife sanctuaries in Dubai and other key areas in the country.

●       For example, the country has launched a breeding program for its sand cats which can be seen as a vital step toward revitalizing the dwindling population of these cats.

●       The country has also been closely monitoring its dugong population, starting in 1999. Although the population of this marine mammal was under threat, through the efforts of the public and private sectors, the current population of dugongs in the country is now stable.

●       Two decades ago, the population of the Arabian oryx was categorized by the IUCN as endangered. Through the work of different sectors, the IUCN has downgraded the oryx's category to vulnerable, reflecting the success of the conservation efforts.

Due to this string of successes, the country has achieved accolades from different corners of the globe. Many credit the country's progress in conserving plant and animal life to its founder, the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who has been recognized as one of the world's foremost conservationists.

This passion for the environment has been continued by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed, specifically through the MBZ Species Conservation Fund which provides grants to organizations that seek to conserve animals and plants threatened by different factors like climate change and poaching.

AUTHOR BIO

Rasha El Saleh is the Conservation Education and Outreach Coordinator in the education team of Emirates Nature-WWF working on its program, Connect with Nature. She leads the outreach and youth empowerment aspect in growing the Connect with Nature community within the UAE and providing opportunities for youth to lead in this community, in addition to supporting partnerships with vendors supporting and promoting active aspects of the program.