Dubai: Sand Dunes to Skyscrapers
Words by Elaine Wilson
Now a dazzling city of high-rise hotels and shopping malls, Dubai reveals the other face of its original desert culture
This is a feature from Issue 22 of Charitable Traveller Magazine.
The burnt-orange sea of sand that is the Arabian desert stretches for miles and miles, and as campsite views go, it’s unforgettable. It’s the same with the glorious desert sunrise, and the early morning mist wafting through the sand dunes like a silk scarf, before it burns off for the day.
I’ve joined Biosphere Expeditions’ Arabian Wildlife Conservation Trip to be a citizen science volunteer at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR), a protected area within the Emirate of Dubai and just over an hours’ drive from Dubai City. This project is committed to re-wilding a huge desert area of over 225 square kilometres. The reserve safeguards this striking landscape with its dramatic dunes, gravel plains and rocky areas and provides a vital habitat for Dubai’s natives species, many of which have become extinct in the wild.
To enter the DDCR you need to book with an approved tour company (such as Biosphere). Our base camp is in a small tented settlement 40-minutes drive into the reserve, where the tents, one per person, are already set up for us. The emphasis is very much on our conservation mission, so there are basic toilets and a small kitchen and the tents are modest. – you need to bring your own sleeping bag, pillow, floor mat.
Camp is set among a grove of ghaf trees that remain green even in the driest of desert conditions. I learn they’re vital to the survival of desert species and have roots up to 30m deep enabling them to reach water tables far beneath the dunes. It’s illegal to fell one and they can live up to 200 years.
While the temperature in the middle of the day typically reaches a pleasant 25°C when I’m here in January, it’s cold at night, so I sleep in my socks and hat, borrow another sleeping bag plus two more floor mats to sleep comfortably. Waking to the sounds of the desert birds at dawn is enchanting and watching the sun rise over the sand dunes never looses its appeal.
Getting down to work
Hundreds of oryx, sand, and Arabian gazelles now call the reserve home, as do Arabian red foxes, sand foxes, and hares. Nocturnal animals include several species of rodent, like Cheesman’s Gerbil. Dozens of bird species live here and if you’re lucky you might even spot the endangered lappet-faces vulture or the rare Pharaoh eagle owl.
Our group is made up of three Brits, two Germans, and an Italian. This kind of trip attracts species enthusiasts (particularly birders) as well as those who are interested in general conservation. But what is a citizen scientist? I’m gathering data on the animals here to assist a scientific inventory of the reserve, using a GPS tracker, compass, datasheets, and the all-important binoculars.
With our data, the scientists can show potential developers eyeing up this ’empty’ space that this desert is in fact home to a wealth of biodiversity. The whole reserve divides into over 60 quadrants and we must record numbers and types of wildlife in a designated area. We are briefed about which quadrant our team will cover and set out in our four-wheel drive vehicle (we’re given training on how to drive on sand, and the tyres have been deflated a bit to make it easier). Once there, we observe the landscape for 30-minutes and record the type and number of species we see before moving no to another area.
With our data, we can show developers eyeing up this 'empty' space that it's in fact home to a wealth of biodiversity
The magnificent oryx, the national animal of the Emirates, is easy to spot with its majestic scimitar horns, pale face, and distinctive markings. They like to position themselves on top of the dunes to catch the moisture from the desert wind, and there are now so many in the reserve that extra food is needed to support the growing population – the feeding station is a great place to photograph them from close quarters. We also spot many Arabian gazelles – the perfect Bambi – and sand gazelles, which are a little stockier and paler with less distinctive markings, as well as lizards, shrikes, bee-eaters, doves and even a couple of wheeling vultures, but the night-time scorpions don’t materialise, which I’m pleased about. My favourite sighting is a beautiful Arabian fox at close quarters in the south of the reserve, cutting an elegant figure with her long slim legs, bushy tail, and large ears.
Making a difference
“It’s really important that we support the efficient management of the reserve and the animals seem to be thriving,” says Malika Fettak, the Biosphere expedition leader. “The citizen science element of the expedition is crucial, because there are just two scientists working a huge area and there is a lot of wildlife out there. A yearly inventory is impossible for them to do; they need more eyes and ears out in the field to count animals and record data. You don’t have to be a biologist to collect meaningful data that helps with reserve management.”
Whilst you don’t need to be a biologist, you do need to be prepared to walk a few kilometres a day and scale a dune or two to reach your observation points.
Anyone can sign up to join an Arabia Citizen Science expedition with Biosphere Expeditions in Dubai, and help to conserve species in this precious reserve. “When you’re travelling it’s very easy to see lots of sights but it’s very rare that you actually get to contribute to the places that you’re visiting,” says Chris Zacharia, a journalist from London. “With Biosphere Expeditions you actually get to be a part of a scientific expedition collecting real data that helps to protect the ecosystem that you’re spending time in.”
The scientists hope to share the data they have collected about the animals with other countries such as Saudi Arabia, who have huge areas that could become wildlife reserves and maybe even share some of their animals with them to start one.
To the Skyscrapers
After six nights in the desert, an hour’s drive and I’m in the heart of the other Dubai. High-rise buildings grow like a forest and Dubai’s rapid expansion is a testament to human ingenuity and ambition. Skyscrapers pierce the sky, luxury hotels redefine opulence and city lights create a dazzling spectacle. I check into the NH Collection – a new hotel in a prime location on the Palm Jumeriah, the artificial archipelago of islands built into the Persian Gulf.
It’s about ten years since I last visited Dubai city. There is little local culture remaining but the souks are still there, including the ever-popular gold souk, and you can cross the river on a small boat for a few dirhams, which is something that has been possible for centuries. It’s a reminder that this mega-city was once a humble pearl-fishing village.
One of the latest attractions to open is the giant doughnut-shaped Museum of the Future, exploring the role of science and technology in society; tickets are sold out months in advance. Dubai is a story still being written at an incredible pace. Here’s to the desert and its wildlife remaining a key chapter in that story.
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This is a feature from Issue 22 of Charitable Traveller.
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