" From Dunes to Dreams : Discovering knowledge in Dubai's Natural wonders"

 Dubai is unique compared to other emirates of the UAE this is due to the fact that only a small portion (about 6%) of the GDP is generated for the sale of fossil fuels; the rest comes from business and tourism activities. As such, the government of Dubai has adopted tourism as a major strategy for maintaining the flow of foreign currency into the economy of the emirate. Dubai has various attractions that form the basis for luring tourists from across the globe, this include ancient historical site, natural environment, man-made features and recreational activities and shopping.

We can describe the Natural Environment of dubai, As mentioned before, Dubai is a coastal city. Therefore, the general elevation of most parts of the city is at sea level. The city lies in the Arabian Desert and this is made up mostly of sandy dune rather thanthan gravel common in other parts of the UAE [Aspinall]. Towards the coastline, the sand is mostly made up of crushed shell and coral; as such, the sand is mostly white and fine. Further inland, the sand dunes are much larger and have a red pigmentation conferred by iron oxide content of the sand in this region.Running along the border between Dubai and Oman at Hatta are the Western Hajar Mountains that mark the end of the sandy desert towards this direction. The environment around these mountains is arid, and the landscape is rugged, points of the mountains rise as high as 1,300meters.

The Dubai creek is a natural inlet in a region that has no natural oases or rivers. Modifications have, however, been carried out on this creek. This includes dredging of the bed in order to allow large vessels to navigate deeper into the city from the coastline.

Some of the animal species that can be spotted in the Arabian Desert include the houbara bustard, striped hyena, caracal, desert fox, falcon, and Arabian Oryx. Additionally, during spring and autumn, Dubai lies in the path of migration of over 320 species of birds on transit between Africa, Europe and Asia. The warm waters of the Persian Gulf attract a large number of fish; more than 300 species have been recorded as being prevalent in the water of the Dubai coast.

The climate of Dubai is mostly hot; some parts of the year may be humid, however, the region is more or less dry through out the year. The episodes of rainfall, clustered around the three months of the year are usually short-lived and light. Rainfall may be heavy during these months; this however is not very common.

Additionally, Dubai is the base of operation of the national UAE carrier, Emirates Airline. The operator has a modern fleet of aircrafts, and has scheduled flights to and from over 100 destinations all over the world. The airport is under constant development and expansion,with each completion conferring additional capacity and efficiency.

The transport system within the city is faced with the challenge of congestion; however, the Dubai government is taking steps to mitigate this situation. One of these initiatives is the monorail that was commissioned earlier this year on the Palm Jumeirah. The common method of getting across the city is via abras, these are small boats that ferry passengers along the Dubai creek.

The road system in Dubai is highly advanced, however, the expansions over the years have not kept up with the increase in the number of vehicles per year, thus leading to the congestion. Dubai boast among the most extensive taxi services with over seven thousand cabs operated both by private companies and civil authorities. This remains the most widely used form of public transport around the emirate.

Article by : M.Fawaz (guest article)

                     2025 A/L batch