Hala Al Khayyat (Abu Dhabi)
Since its opening last November, the number of visitors to the Al Wathba Fossil Dunes Reserve has exceeded 11,000 people who love nature, and due to the environmental and tourism importance of the site, as it includes more than 1,700 fossil dunes spread over 7 square kilometers.
The age of the fossil dunes in the reserve, which is nominated to join the list of geological parks in “UNESCO”, is estimated at about 120 thousand years, as the site dates back to the ice age, which qualified it to be the first reserve of its kind in the country and the West Asian region. The Al Wathba Fossil Dunes Reserve is one of the pillars of the natural heritage of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE, and it falls within the category of geological features of nature reserves according to the standards of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The public can visit the reserve, which is located in the Al Wathba area, about 45 kilometers from Abu Dhabi, from Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 10 pm, and from Friday to Sunday from 9 am to 12 midnight.
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi stressed the importance of maintaining the cleanliness of the site, and not practicing any abuses that would affect and harm the safety and sustainability of fossil dunes.
The Commission called for site visitors to avoid climbing fossil formations and throwing rubbish, and organizing any events or activities at fossil dune sites. Since it is very fragile and prone to damage and breakage.
She pointed out the need for the public to be responsible when visiting the natural sites in the country, in order to preserve them and the living organisms that live on the site.
The reserve includes the visitors’ walkway, which was equipped as part of the eco-tourism program, as it provides a unique and distinctive opportunity that allows visitors to see the picturesque nature and practice many activities, such as hiking in lighted paths of up to 3 km in length back and forth, and on both sides there are many umbrellas and benches for rest and recreation, and watching Musical light shows of fossil dunes from the runway area, which can accommodate more than 200 visitors at the same time. The site also provides food and drink services for visitors within specific places on the site. There is a visitor center, and it includes many facilities, such as the viewing area, the exhibits corner, squares, and benches to sit and enjoy the magnificence and beauty of the site, in addition to equipping the site with many service and health facilities, parking lots, and others.
Numerous educational, awareness and indicative boards were also placed throughout the site. The opening of the reserve now comes for the second year after the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi implemented, during the last period, an integrated plan to develop and protect the fossil sand dunes site in Al Wathba, which included developing the site’s infrastructure, building many service and tourism facilities, including a visitor center and installing informative panels. They were distributed over the most important areas of the site, and the implementation of external and internal fences with a length of 7 km, in addition to preparing the internal road network.
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