Al Marmoom Reserve…an Emirati model for the balance between environmental protection and sustainable development
Dubai, July 26 / WAM / Al Marmoom Desert Reserve in the Saih Al Salam area represents a prominent model of the efforts of the UAE and the Emirate of Dubai in particular in preserving biodiversity, protecting natural ecosystems, promoting environmental awareness, and establishing balanced coexistence between humans and nature.
The reserve is the first natural reserve in the country that was opened to the public as part of an approach that allows the community to interact with the environment and learn about its components, in parallel with an integrated system to protect and manage it according to the principles of sustainability.
The reserve covers an area of 94,935 square kilometers, and is the largest of the eight nature reserves in Dubai, representing about 23% of the total land area of the emirate.
The reserve enjoys a prominent international status, as it was declared in 2024 an area of global importance for biological diversity according to the standards of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (KBA), and it was also classified as an area of international importance for birds (IBA), reflecting its global value in supporting biodiversity and protecting species and natural habitats of environmental importance.
His Excellency Ahmed Mohammed Bin Thani, Director-General of the Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority, confirmed in a statement to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, that natural reserves represent a long-term strategic investment, the fruits of which are reflected in the present and the future.
He said that the exceptional biological diversity that Dubai reserves contain is not just a natural heritage that we are keen to preserve, but rather a living asset that enhances our environmental resilience and supports our journey towards achieving climate neutrality.
The reserve includes 258 species of birds, most notably the bustard and the curly-headed eagle, which are classified as endangered species, in addition to 11 species of mammals, most notably the Arabian oryx, sand gazelle, and mountain gazelle, as well as 26 species of reptiles and 134 species of invertebrates that play an essential role in food chains and desert ecosystems.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List classifies 19 species in the reserve as “threatened with extinction,” which enhances the global importance of the reserve in the field of species conservation and biodiversity.
The reserve also includes 47 species of plants that have adapted to the harsh climatic conditions of the desert environment, most notably the Ghaf tree and the deep-rooted Samar tree, in addition to the Sidr tree. These species form a plant cover that supports wildlife and enhances the stability of the ecosystem.
Al Marmoum Reserve carries out environmental studies and research and monitoring and control programmes, including the wildlife tracking program via satellite, which studies the movement of animals and birds, determines their areas of distribution and patterns of use of natural habitats, in a way that supports efforts to protect and manage them in a sustainable manner.
The program focuses mainly on birds, by tracking their migration paths and monitoring the use of the Emirate of Dubai as an important station during their annual migration flights, and includes a number of important species, including the great spotted eagle, the curly-headed vulture, the great flamingo, and the buzzard.
The program tracks a number of mammals, such as the Arabian oryx, sand gazelle, and mountain gazelle, with the aim of studying their movement patterns and use of different habitats within.
The reserve and outside it.
Al Marmoum Reserve hosts the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Energy Project, one of the largest clean energy projects in the world, embodying the integration between environmental protection and supporting sustainable development, and contributing to achieving the UAE’s goals in the field of climate neutrality by 2050.
The reserve provides its visitors with various environmental experiences, including exploring artificial lakes and sand dunes, observing birds and wildlife through the eight observation towers, in addition to observing the stars in a desert environment characterized by the purity of the sky and its distance from sources of light pollution.
The Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority implements awareness and educational programs throughout the year, including digital lectures and field visits to schools and universities during the winter, in addition to cleaning campaigns, which enhances awareness of the importance of protecting the environment and consolidates concepts of sustainability among various segments of society.
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