This summer I had the privilege of visiting a desert resort with my family in the UAE. Al Maha Resort is located in what is called the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR).
The hotel showcases the heritage and architecture of the Bedouins; our hotel rooms were like five-star tents with several luxuries and amenities.
Although our bathrooms were not exactly authentic, they were super impressive.
What was more exciting than the luxury, however, was the focus on conservation. This resort showed a completely different side of Dubai, far from the skyscrapers and shopping malls. The DDCR accounts for 5% of Dubai's total land area (about 225 square kilometers) and was created to protect the remaining untouched desert landscape in the emirate.
HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum (Chairman) stated:
"We are increasingly aware of the urgent need to take good care of our priceless natural heritage, all the more so as Dubai is expanding so fast. The Reserve protects are last unspoiled desert and unique Arabian way of life for future generations to enjoy."
To this end, in 2003 , 70 Arabic Oryx (a main attraction in the resort) were placed in the DDCR; there are now 500 are they are the largest herd in the country. There are 275 Arabian gazelles and 50 sand gazelles in the DDCR; this feat was accomplished by introducing both species simultaneously. Through the improvement of the environment, the list of bird species has gone up to 116 from just 60, 13 years ago. Vegetation in the area has also been improved, which has created a conducive environment for reptiles such as the Spiny-Tailed Lizard.
As the pamphlet or guide states: "the DDCR represents the largest land mass devoted to a single project in Dubai's history" and "the desert environment has spurred the evolution of many unique species".
Due to a focus on sustainable growth, some measures that the conservationists at Al Maha take are limiting the daily visitors and vehicles entering the reserve and placing strict limits on all activities which place pressure on the habitat. They also train safari guides to do the same and ensure careful zoning within the Reserve so the more vulnerable habitats and sensitive locations are spared heavy visitor traffic and interference.
A central sentiment mentioned is "the belief that it makes better financial sense to maintain a natural environment than it does to attempt to repair damage" and this is one that we should all think about when we come across development.