UAE Declares Wadi Wurayah a Protected Area

Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, April 28, SPA -- Sheikh Hamad bin
Mohammad Al-Sharqi, member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of
Fujairah, has officially declared Wadi Wurayah Fujairah the UAE’s
first protected mountain area.


The wadi is a 129 sq km catchment that occupies the northern reaches
of Fujairah between the towns of Masafi, Khor Fakkan and Bidiyah.


Due to its permanent water resource, the area has been used by local
communities for thousands of years and is home to rare and endangered
species, such as the Arabian tahr and Arabian leopard, according to a
report published today by Arab News.


The wadi is located within the Ecoregion 127 Arabian Highlands and
Shrublands, one of the WWF Global 200 Ecoregions, regrouping the
richest, rarest and most distinctive of the earth’s natural habitats.


Commenting on the landmark achievement, Razan Khalifa Al-Mubarak,
managing director of the EWS-WWF stated: “Wadi Wurayah is of
considerable ecological significance allowing among the rarest
species found in the UAE, Arabian peninsular and the world to survive
this harsh climate.


“Over the past three years, we have revealed the presence of 12
species of mammals, 73 species of birds, 17 species of reptiles and
amphibians, one species of fish and 74 invertebrate families, of
which 11 are new species. More than 300 species of plants have been
recorded in the area.”

--SPA