UAE EVENTS

The Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority (SEPA) has announced that Sir Bu Nair Island will open its doors to visitors for the first time on 25 October - the closing event of the Sir Bu Nair Festival, which will offer free sea tours to visitors. The public is invited to experience this natural wonderland up close and personal.

The 4-kilometre-long island, 112 kilometres off the coast of Sharjah, is not only one of the Emirate's most important nature reserves, but also a flagship project of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (SIDA). At the heart of the plan is the idea of creating a unique destination that combines natural attributes with a sense of luxury, blending modern comforts with the region's cultural and architectural heritage, while preserving its ecological heritage.

Known for its distinctive horseshoe-shaped silhouette, Buner Island harbours a rich terrestrial and marine ecological landscape that is a 'living testament' to the UAE's biodiversity:

Home to endangered species: it is an important sanctuary for endangered species such as the hawksbill turtle and the green turtle, which visit the island from March to June each year to complete their egg-laying and reproduction on the shoreline as scheduled;

Underwater ecological wonders: the waters around the island are home to 76 species of coral fish, 40 species of coral reefs, and the first recorded red fish in the Arabian Gulf, forming a colourful underwater world;

A land paradise: the island is also home to large colonies of seabirds, as well as land creatures such as gazelles, hedgehogs and reptiles, forming a closed ecological loop of symbiosis between land and sea.

With a limited number of places available, the Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority urges the public to register as soon as possible to explore the unique combination of marine heritage, conservation and natural beauty of this unique island, and to discover its inimitable ecological and human values first hand.