Geological tourism in the Emirates attracts researchers and visitors from all over the world

Abu Dhabi, January 29/ WAM/ Geological tourism in the UAE is part of the “The Most Beautiful Winter in the World” campaign is one of the important factors to enhance domestic tourism and attract researchers and visitors from all over the world.

His Excellency Eng. Saif Ghobash, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, assistant to the oil, gas and mineral wealth sector, stressed that the UAE has a rich geological heritage that extends to more than 600 million years, indicating the importance of this heritage in promoting geological tourism as part of the “most beautiful winter in the world’s initiative in the world .
He said that this unique geological diversity reflects the natural processes that formed the terrain of the state throughout the ages, which created a distinctive nature and sites of high geological value that attract researchers and tourists from around the world.
He added that geological tourism in the UAE constitutes a bridge that combines science, beauty and sustainability, which puts the country on the map of global tourism and enhances its position as a major destination for researchers and tourists alike, within the framework of a national vision that seeks to sustain natural heritage and enrich the economy.
Eng. Saif Ghobash stressed the importance of concerted efforts to develop the geological tourism sector through the development of infrastructure and the provision of paths for walking in mountainous areas, and the establishment of facilities that support recreational activities such as camping and climbing, promoting and marketing unique geological sites, protecting geological sites from deterioration and ensuring their sustainability for future generations.
He pointed out that the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure plays a pivotal role in documenting the geological heritage of the country through the National Geological Survey, which allowed the establishment of a comprehensive geological and geophysical database covering minerals, rocks, and natural and water resources, noting that these data enriches cognitive content and contributes to support Environmental and economic sustainability plans.
He said that the ministry’s library includes specialized publications in the field of geology, which highlights the formation of mountains, carrots and minerals, and these versions support efforts to promote global geological tourism, and contribute to enhancing the understanding of geological phenomena between different groups.
He added that geological tourism in the UAE is a promising economic and investment opportunity that contributes to diversifying the sources of income and enhancing environmental sustainability, and through the continuous government efforts in preserving the geological heritage, the state continues to enhance its position as a leading destination in this field, which supports its vision in achieving sustainable development and attracting more Tourists and researchers from around the world.
His Excellency explained that the UAE realized early the importance of preserving geological heritage and promoting geological tourism, where the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure works to activate the national program for the protection of geological heritage through several initiatives, most notably, organizing the activities of the “geological march” to introduce society to the importance of geological sites, and include natural sites Within environmental protection lists, launching awareness programs to spread scientific knowledge about geological formations, enhance infrastructure in mountainous areas to attract more tourists and researchers, in addition to its endeavor to join the global network of UNESCO Geological Gardens.
For his part, Khaled Al -Hosani, Director of the Department of Geology and Mineral Resources at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, said that the geological terrain in the UAE represents a living record of the history of the earth, and it is distributed over major areas, most notably the mountainous areas that are characterized by rare rock formations such as the “Aviolite” formations, which It is one of the rarest rock sequences globally, while these mountains, which extend east, are a destination for tourists and scientists alike, as the variation of its colors and natural slopes attract visitors to discover their beauty and dynamic history that dates back to 95 million years, and these mountainous areas are the most rainy in The state, which led to the emergence of oases, farms and natural springs, as well as organizing tourist activities such as climbing mountains and exploring caves.
He added that geological tourism in the country takes two main tracks, the first is the scientific pattern that targets scientists, researchers, university students and schools and enables them to study unique geological structures, class sequences and fossils, and in turn the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in cooperation with the relevant authorities aims to design scientific tourism programs directed to this category, and markets them. Global to attract universities and research centers that need field sites to study geology, and the second recreational pattern, which targets tourists looking for comfort and recreation in unique natural sites such as sand dunes or picturesque mountains.
Al -Hosani stressed that geological tourism in the Emirates is a sustainable activity aimed at enjoying natural aspects of geological importance without harming its formations, which contributes to preserving this natural heritage of future generations.
The geological terrain in the UAE includes the stones and desert plains, where the sand dunes cover about 74% of the country’s area, and it is a natural museum for different types of dunes, such as the crescent, length and star dunes, including for example the Liwa Oasis, which is characterized by its sand dunes that reach the height of the height More than 100 meters, which makes it an ideal destination for adventure lovers such as car races, bikes and sand skiing.
The coastal and carrot areas also contain islands such as Dalma, Sir Bani Yas and Sir Abu Nair, which are characterized by rare geological compositions, while the salt mountains constitute these islands as a result of geological operations dating back millions of years.

These islands, in addition to the coastal areas full of coral reefs, are enchanting tourist destinations for lovers of nature and recreation, while historical oases such as Al Ain Oasis, Hili and Albremi are tourist attraction sites that combine natural beauty and cultural history through castles and aflaj that reflect the genius of the Emirati man in dealing with the environment Natural.
The UAE has unique ingredients that make it a distinct destination for geological tourism, as it includes various geological terrains that include the stone mountain range, and rare aviolite rocks dating back more than 90 million years, along with towering sand dunes in the Empty Quarter desert, and the state also provides geological sites such as Wadi Al -Waraa In Fujairah and its natural waterfalls, which allow exploratory experiences for nature lovers, and enhances the advanced network of roads and modern hotel facilities from easy access to these sites.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Related