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The spectacular and mysterious Arabian desert is a landmark of the UAE, its treasure and its heritage. 80% of the country is covered with vast kilometres of infinity sands.
The UAE is a ‘mecca’ for safari-lovers and adventure-seekers, eager to ride through velvet sands and dunes.
The Arabian desert is home to hundreds of rare and unique animal species, from elegant gazelle to kinglike oryx. Animal-lovers from all over the world come to the UAE for an unforgettable safari adventure and a journey into desert wildlife.
You can spot dozens of natural species during your ride across the enigmatic desert. Tour operators of the UAE offer a great variety of safari tours, which are rather costly for a budget traveller. Renting a car and going on a safari yourself is a much cheaper option, while it is still safe and comfortable, one can rent a car in Dubai. Just remember to take a 4×4 and embark on an unforgettable safari experience!
Deserts of UAE have preserved biodiversity and natural beauty giving life to incredible and unique natural creatures. Here are some of them you can spot while riding across the country:
Mountain Gazelle and Sand Gazelle
A minor part of UAE is a mountain land inhabited by mountain gazelles, while their “sisters”, princely sand gazelles live in the desert habitat. Graceful, fast and beautiful gazelles are rare and endangered species: due to illegal seizures and hunting, their overall population barely reaches 1000.
White Oryx
A stately white antelope, called the oryx, lives in desert areas of the UAE and several countries of the Arabian Peninsula. It has long legs, long horns, and a very graceful silhouette. Oryx is one of the most famous symbols of the Arabian world, representing beauty and strength. The oryx is very fast and agile. People believed that oryx is a totem sacred animal that shows up to people as a spiritual sign helping them to overcome problems and barriers. Oryx is the symbol of Qatar airways, a national animal of Jordan, the UAE, and Bahrein.
Sand Cat
Small and cute, these cats look like fluffy kittens and have the character of strong and wild predators. They are true survivors who adapted themselves to living in a harsh waterless desert. Sand cats are solitary creatures, they do not gather in prides like lions or tigers. Be careful – these fluffy little predators can easily bite and kill a snake!
Let’s continue our journey, and have a look at the other wild desert dwellers:
Camel
Being called “ships of the desert,” camels are iconic and important animals for the UAE, accompanying its people from the very old Bedouin times to nowadays. Camel is an animal that plays its historical part in Muslim culture. Arabian camel is being called “a dromedary” and it has one hemp, and the Asian camel has two.
People of the Arabian Peninsula are attached to these graceful and patient creatures, who transport people across desert for centuries. Today camels do not serve as a means of transport and a source of food and milk, they are used for over-popular camel racing in the UAE. Camels represent the tradition and culture of the UAE.
Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and the Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa:Established in 1999, the reserve serves for the protection of desert biodiversity, flora and fauna. Sand gazelle and oryx are the main inhabitants of the Reserve. The total area of the reserve is 225 square kilometres. It is the perfect place to have real Arabian wildlife experience. Don’t forget to book the tour, when you plan your visit to Dubai to get unforgettable memories.
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