Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammad Al-Sharqi, member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Fujairah, has officially declared Wadi Wurayah Fujairah the UAE's first protected mountain area. The wadi is a 129 sq km catchment that occupies the northern reaches of Fujairah between the towns of Masafi, Khor Fakkan and Bidiyah. Due to its permanent water resource, the area has been used by local communities for thousands of years and is home to rare and endangered species, such as the Arabian tahr and Arabian leopard, according to a report published today by Arab News. The wadi is located within the Ecoregion 127 Arabian Highlands and Shrublands, one of the WWF Global 200 Ecoregions, regrouping the richest, rarest and most distinctive of the earth's natural habitats. Commenting on the landmark achievement, Razan Khalifa Al-Mubarak, managing director of the EWS-WWF stated: “Wadi Wurayah is of considerable ecological significance allowing among the rarest species found in the UAE, Arabian peninsular and the world to survive this harsh climate. “Over the past three years, we have revealed the presence of 12 species of mammals, 73 species of birds, 17 species of reptiles and amphibians, one species of fish and 74 invertebrate families, of which 11 are new species. More than 300 species of plants have been recorded in the area.”
