The Environment
The transformation of dubai and abu dhabi from small towns to major
metropolises in the space of a few decades has inevitably had a nega-
tive impact on the environment� according to a World Wildlife fund
report in 2010, the united arab emirates (uae) tops the list of the
five countries with the biggest ecological footprint� it is not all doom
and gloom, however, with various groups and projects trying to raise
environmental awareness across the uae� The most prominent is the
extraordinary Masdar city project based in abu dhabi�
thE lanDScapE
Dubai is capital of the emirate of the same name and extends over
4114 sq km, making it the second-largest of the seven emirates that com-
pose the UAE. Prior to settlement, this area was flat sabkha (salt-crusted
coastal plain). The sand mostly consists of crushed shell and coral and
is fine, clean and white. The sabkha was broken only by clumps of desert
grasses and a small area of hardy mangroves at the inland end of the
Dubai Creek. Photographs of the area from the early 20th century show
how strikingly barren the landscape was.
At 67,340 sq km, Abu Dhabi is the largest sheikhdom in the UAE, oc-
cupying more than 80% of the UAE’s total area. Its coastline is a combina-
tion of high-rises, luxury hotels, pristine beaches and landscaped parks.
Beyond the City
East of the city, the sabkha gives way to north–south lines of dunes. The
farming areas of Al-Khawaneej and Al-Awir, now on the edge of Dubai’s
suburbia, are fed by wells. Further east, the dunes grow larger and are
tinged red with iron oxide. The dunes stop abruptly at the gravel fans
at the base of the rugged Hajar Mountains, where there are gorges and
waterholes. A vast sea of sand dunes covers the area south of the city, be-
coming more and more imposing as it stretches into the desert known as
the Empty Quarter (Rub’ al-Khali), which makes up the southern region
of the UAE and the western region of Saudi Arabia. North of Dubai, along
the coast, the land is tough desert scrub broken by inlets similar to Dubai
Creek, until you reach the mountainous northern emirates.
Away from the coast in Abu Dhabi, the desert interior remains a fertile
oasis of soaring dunes, scenic wadis, thickets of date palms and even some
historic forts standing where caravans once paused along their ancient
trading routes.
parkS & plantS
In the parks of Dubai and Abu Dhabi you will see indigenous tree species
such as the date palm and the neem (a botanical cousin of mahogany),
and a large number of imported species, including eucalyptus. The sandy
desert surrounding the city supports wild grasses and the occasional date-
palm oasis. In the salty scrublands further down the coast you might spot