The UAE's turtle population has steadily increased in recent years, with the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi reporting a 30 per cent increase in numbers compared with a decade ago.
But ingesting plastic remains a key issue, with reports this year that discarded plastic bags have caused some turtles to lose their flippers. While plastic pollution is still a major issue for marine conservation efforts, experts say national single-use plastic policies have improved the coastal environment.
Such initiatives, coupled with marine protection programmes, have led to positive results.
New beginnings
In Dubai, Jumeirah's Turtle Rehabilitation Project was launched 21 years ago and has since led to the release of more than 2,300 rescued turtles back into the wild.
Barbara Lang-Lenton, the project's director, told The National that her team had cared for more rescued turtles owing to greater awareness about who to call if an injured creature is seen.
She added that, for the first time this year, a juvenile loggerhead turtle was rescued off the coast of Dubai. This was significant because the turtle was too small to swim from nesting sites in Oman or Yemen, suggesting there could be an undiscovered nesting area in the Gulf.
Improving picture
The increase in the turtle population in Abu Dhabi "stands as clear evidence of the success" of the emirate's conservation strategy, said Ahmed Al Hashmi, executive director of the terrestrial and marine biodiversity sector at the environment agency.
Dugongs have also been thriving in the emirate, with the population increasing by 20 per cent in the past 10 years. The data covered more than 3,500 dugongs and about 8,000 turtles.
Luxury tourism benefit
The projects in Abu Dhabi and Dubai show the importance of public engagement for coastal and marine conservation.
Jumeirah’s model of luxury ecotourism in remote reserves emphasises that conservation can be an attraction. The tourism group is looking to replicate that model overseas.
Eight years ago, Dutch marine biologist Rianne Laan arrived on Thanda Island, Tanzania, for what she expected to be a three‑month posting. Today, she leads a thriving marine conservation programme at the island's Jumeirah property.
The island has officially been designated as a marine reserve since 2007, but illegal fishing, including the use of dynamite, had ravaged the coral and fish populations. When Ms Laan began documenting reef health, she found degraded coral, patchy fish life and little evidence of recovery.
But the reserve now shows signs of significant regeneration. “Guests who visited early on now return and say they see so much more fish,” she said.
The notable species to return include eagle rays, first seen at the island three years ago, while the number of turtle nests has increased from one in 2017 to four by 2023. “We don’t know how long they’d been absent,” Ms Laan says. “They were probably being poached.”
Money from tourism helps to fund park rangers, anti‑fishing patrols and scientific monitoring projects. The resort has also had a minimal impact on nearby reefs. Ms Laan said that, without luxury tourism, there would be "no infrastructure, no protection" for the island's marine life.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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%3Cp%3ETotal%20trade%20in%20goods%20and%20services%20(exports%20plus%20imports)%20between%20the%20UK%20and%20the%20UAE%20in%202022%20was%20%C2%A321.6%20billion%20(Dh98%20billion).%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThis%20is%20an%20increase%20of%2063.0%20per%20cent%20or%20%C2%A38.3%20billion%20in%20current%20prices%20from%20the%20four%20quarters%20to%20the%20end%20of%202021.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20was%20the%20UK%E2%80%99s%2019th%20largest%20trading%20partner%20in%20the%20four%20quarters%20to%20the%20end%20of%20Q4%202022%20accounting%20for%201.3%20per%20cent%20of%20total%20UK%20trade.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
The five pillars of Islam
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
