Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa Dubai
Al Maha is a haven for the mammals and birds of the UAE and includes programmes such as habitat rehabilitation, propagation of more than 6,000 indigenous flora and the re-introduction of the UAE's first free-roaming herds of the endangered oryx.
Visit www.emirateshotelsresorts.com/al-maha
Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara
Set on the island of Sir Bani Yas off the coast of Abu Dhabi, home to thousands of animals and birds, the resort has been planned keeping in mind ecological, social and economic fronts. Desert Islands aims to become financially self-sufficient and economically sustainable.
Visit www.desertislands.anantara.com
Ras Al Jinz, Oman
Ras Al Jinz provides one the largest nesting areas in the Indian Ocean for green turtles. It also features a scientific centre and a visitors centre, an eco-tourism facility providing a unique learning and recreational experience.
Visit www.rasaljinz.org
Radisson Blu Resort, Sharjah
The resort created an environment programme in 2001. The resort's "grey water" (from the hotel rooms, kitchens and restaurants) are filtered through a five-layer sand filter and then pumped into 13 giant tanks holding 14,000 gallons of water.
Visit www.radissonblu.com/resort-sharjah for details.
The Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort
Built around the Al Ain Zoo — a centre for the conservation of endangered species and the successful breeding of the Arabian oryx — the resort follows the best sustainable practices, from leading international initiatives such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and One Planet Living.
Visit www.awpr.ae
Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara
The resort has undertaken several initiatives to avoid affecting the environment negatively. Among these is the reduction of water consumption by applying the best practices for irrigation and outdoor landscape design.
Also, during construction of the resort, concrete requirements were minimised by using geo-textile sandbags to build retaining walls — a sustainable application that used local material and reduced cost along with considerable carbon footprint from concrete.
Visit www.qasralsarab.anantara.com
