Wadi Wurayah is at the forefront of international attention after the UAE submitted its candidacy for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List

Fujairah, 1st July / WAM / Deep in the Hajar Mountains in the Emirate of Fujairah, about 45 kilometers from the city, Wadi Wurayah stands as one of the most prominent natural treasures in the UAE, where water springs and streams (canals) meet unique biodiversity, in a scene that embodies the richness of the Emirati environment and reflects its firm commitment to protecting the natural heritage.

“Wadi Wurayah” is not just a natural reserve, but rather an integrated ecosystem extending over an area of 220 square kilometers, which includes more than 1,099 species of living organisms, including no less than 114 species of birds, 20 species of mammals, 30 reptiles and amphibians, 216 plants, and lynx, in addition to rare and endangered species, such as the Arabian tahr and Blanford’s fox, which makes it One of the most important environmental sites in the region.

The valley is distinguished by its permanent natural waterfall and springs, which over the centuries have been a source of life in this mountainous region and contributed to the formation of an exceptional ecosystem. It hosts rare plants, the most prominent of which is the wild orchid (Epipactis ferratrifolia), which is the only one of its kind in the Emirates.

The valley represents an important station for scientific research, as environmental studies have contributed to the rediscovery of rare types of living organisms, documenting their presence within the reserve and naming it after its discovery, thus enhancing the valley’s status as a natural laboratory for studying biodiversity in the region.

The importance of the valley is not limited to its environmental value, but rather its presence extends to the historical and cultural dimension, as it has been linked over hundreds of years to the life of local communities, and it is adjacent to a number of prominent historical landmarks, including Al Badiyah Mosque, the oldest existing mosque in the UAE, in an image that reflects the deep-rooted relationship between man and nature in Fujairah.

Today, this natural heritage is at the forefront of international attention, with the United Arab Emirates submitting a nomination file for Wadi Wurayah to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as a natural site of exceptional universal value.

The nomination file is based mainly on the ninth criterion (ix), which is concerned with representing continuous environmental and biological processes of global importance, because the valley embodies a unique integration between geological formations, permanent fresh springs, and natural habitats that have maintained their continuity over thousands of years, in one of the most prominent desert mountain ecosystems in the Arabian Peninsula.

The file is based on a series of national and international recognitions that the valley received, as it was declared a natural reserve in 2009, and was included in the list of wetlands of international importance according to the Ramsar Convention in 2010, and it became the first national park in the UAE in 2013, before it was registered as a biosphere reserve within the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program in 2018.

As part of the follow-up to this international nomination, the Fujairah Environment Authority is participating in the work of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which is hosted by the city of Busan in the Republic of Korea during the period from 19 to 29 July this year, in coordination with the relevant national authorities, in a step that reflects the commitment of the UAE and the Emirate of Fujairah to protecting natural heritage, enhancing its presence on the international scene, and consolidating the status of Wadi Wurayah as a site of exceptional universal value worthy of inclusion on the World Heritage List.

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