There are more than 200 desert islands off the coast of Abu Dhabi, a mixture of natural and manmade archipelagoes that offer a great escape from the UAE’s urban jungles. Adrian Murphy discovers a few of the best for nature and history.

Sailing over the turquoise waters off the coast of Jebel Dhanna to Sir Bani Yas Island is one of the most eagerly anticipated journeys I have ever made. Following a 250km drive south-west of Abu Dhabi, which passes through the Western Region towns of Tarif, Al Mirfa and Ruwais, this excursion is the start of a great wildlife adventure. It is my first stop on a mini tour of the emirate’s atolls and possibly the most rewarding – a different kind of experience to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, home of the Formula One race track and Ferrari World theme park, and the cultural delights to come at Saadiyat Island, which is building the Zayed, Louvre and Guggenheim museums. Sir Bani Yas, named after the Bani Yas tribe, is the largest natural island in the UAE, covering 87 square kilometres. It was a favourite destination of the UAE’s founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nayhan.

It was Sheikh Zayed who made Sir Bani Yas what it is today by planting more than three million trees and setting up a wildlife reserve, and the western majlis on the island is where he gave many of his television interviews. The island has been open to visitors since 2009. On a day trip one can see cheetahs and ostriches, and even visit a Christian monastery dating back to 600CE.

 

Not far from the turn off to the Sir Bani Yas jetty is the road leading to the Dalma Island jetty, where ferries go daily to one of the UAE’s most heavily populated islets with 10,000 residents. Tours of this island can be arranged through TDI C and it takes just over an hour to travel the 42km to Dalma (Sir Bani Yas is 9km offshore). Dalma is also known as ‘Pearl Island’ for its links with the pearling trade, which is documented in the island’s museum. It has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years. There are more than 20 archaeological sites on Dalma, including Almuraikhi’s
Mosque. The island also has its own shopping mall and an abundance of fresh
water.

Heading back to Abu Dhabi, which itself is an island, and the bright lights of the big city, I planned my next trip to another natural island: Al Futaisi. Owned by Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, also known as the Rainbow Sheikh, Al Futaisi is accessible by heading to Al Bateen Port and following the rainbows to Hamad Marina. Here you will board one of the speed boats for the 20-minute journey, during which you can watch the capital’s skyline slip away and pass many small islands and seafarers heading for the mainland. Al Futaisi has been a popular destination for years. With little development, it still holds on to some impressive natural beauty with its mangrove lagoon and wildlife. While I was there, I watched one of the hundreds of gazelles that roam free on the island walk over a salt plain past a falcon’s nest perched on one of Al Futaisi’s naturally formed rock-islands.

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