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The Emirates Group has renewed its agreement with Dubai Municipality to manage the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR), in line with its commitment to protecting wildlife and protecting natural habitats.
As custodian of the protected area for more than 20 years, the Emirates Group fully operates and funds its work to nurture the UAE’s fragile ecosystem, in addition to research and education programmes.
As Dubai has rapidly grown and urbanized over the past two decades, the DDCR arose out of the Dubai government’s commitment to protecting the emirate’s unique desert habitat and biodiversity. The reserve is the UAE’s first national park and covers an area of 225 square kilometers, accounting for about 5% of Dubai’s total land area.
Signing the agreement on behalf of the Emirates Group, Ali Mubarak Al Soori, Executive Vice President, Facilities, Project Management and Group Procurement and Supply Chain, said: “At the heart of the Emirates Group’s strategic objectives is our commitment to sustainable development and the protection of our precious environment since DDCR in 2002. Since its inception, the Emirates Group has supported this important initiative by operating the sanctuary and managing its sprawling facilities on behalf of the Dubai government. The UAE has declared 2023 as the Year of Sustainability and we are proud to continue our progress in achieving the country’s sustainable development goals Play a role.”
Alya Abdulrahim Alharmoudi, Acting Chief Executive, Environment, Health and Safety Authority, Dubai Municipality, added: “Our partnership with Emirates Airline to protect and manage the Dubai Desert Reserve (Al Maha) demonstrates the role of public-private partnerships in promoting conservation in nature reserves. Sustainability.It also reflects the City’s commitment to coordinate effectively with all of its partners to further economic development.
“This agreement plays a vital role in protecting the diversity of the environment and nature reserves, as well as enhancing wildlife protection, which is crucial for the development of the tourism and environmental sectors in the Emirate of Dubai and the UAE. In Dubai Municipality, we Committed to promoting the sustainability of nature reserves and desert reserves by conducting research operations programs and studies that will help conserve their biodiversity in a sustainable manner and highlight their value as wildlife and desert expeditions Relevance of important tourist attractions.”
Since the reserve’s inception in 2002, the Emirates Group has invested more than AED 28 million (US$ 7.62 million) in the reserve to fund and support the conservation of the natural desert landscape and its native flora and fauna.
The protected interior desert habitat is currently home to more than 560 different species of plants and trees, birds, mammals, reptiles and arthropods – an increase from the original 150 native species that thrived in the area prior to DDCR efforts more than double. Effective management strategies in protected areas can help promote the natural processes that lead to desert habitat rewilding and its restoration.
By protecting Dubai’s precious desert ecosystem, Emirates also enables DDCR to offer visitors an authentic desert experience through carefully managed and supervised tours. Funding from the Emirates Airline Group and DDCR’s limited tourism operations have also enabled the sanctuary to conduct scientific research, collect data and develop new technologies needed for its management, in addition to rolling out educational programs designed to enrich the visitor experience.
Sustainable tourism offerings allow visitors from around the world to experience spectacular dune drives, desert safari and traditional Arabian experiences while gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of the desert’s natural habitat, heritage and wildlife, and the importance of conservation. A new Desert Visitor Center is currently being developed to further enhance the educational experience for visitors to the reserve.
DDCR operates under the oversight of the Dubai Conservation Board (DCB), which is chaired by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Since the inception of the DDCR, the reserve has had great success in increasing the population of sand gazelles, Arabian gazelles and Arabian agate from an initial population of 230 individuals to over 1,300 today. Another 171 Arabian oryx have been transferred to other protected areas in the UAE.
Other milestones include the reintroduction of 2,800 Houbara or Macqueen’s Bustard, which roam freely in the safe environment of the reserve. More than 31,000 native trees thrive on this vast property, including the Ghaf tree, which is native to the desert and known for its ability to survive extreme climatic conditions without irrigation. – trade arab news agency
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