Sharjah
Leisure-seekers will get a rare chance to visit the protected Sir Bu Nair island in Sharjah emirate during the Sir Bu Nair Festival from May 19 to 20, officials said on Sunday.
The nature reserve is open to the public once a year, and a host of leisure activities await visitors during the festival. The activities include scuba-diving, sightseeing, boating, dhow racing and heritage shows.
Visitors must arrange their own transport by sea to the water-drop shaped island as no passenger or tourist service exists for the island, located around 90km north-west of Sharjah.
The Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) is organising the 17th edition of the festival, in association with multiple government and non-government entities, under the theme “The Sea is our Life”. The EPAA is expecting 4,000 visitors during the two-day festival. It will also be holding a Green Turtle-release programme on the island, home to a wide variety of wildlife and sea creatures.
Green turtles are endangered species and the release programme will include satellite tracking to study their migration, EPAA Chairperson Hana Al Suwaidi told Gulf News. She was talking on the sidelines of a press conference at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Sunday to unveil the details of the festival.
In 2012, officials discovered green turtle nesting activity on the island and launched a study on the endangered species. Hana said such a comprehensive study has never before been undertaken in the Gulf. Also, the island represents the latest ecotourism project after a series of successful ecotourism projects in Sharjah emirate, such as the Wasit Wetland Centre and Al Hefaiyah Mountain Conservation Centre.
Hana said the Sir Bu Nair ecotourism project is “unique” and its development is underway in association with Shurooq (Sharjah Investment and Development Authority). In fact, all protected areas in Sharjah are being opened to the public, she added.
“Sir Bu Nair is very important for us in the UAE, under the guidance of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, [Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah],” Hana said.
An organising committee chaired by Shaikh Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, chairman of Sharjah Media Corporation, has finalised its preparations for hosting the festival. Sir Bu Nair Festival aims to highlight the efforts made by Sharjah in conserving the cultural heritage and natural environment for future generations, the EPAA said.
Also, the festival aims to promote the touristic and environmental importance of Sir Bu Nair Nature Reserve, as well as its ecotourism importance as a destination for leisure activities.
The festival raises awareness among visitors to the island about the importance of adhering to ecosystem conservation regulations and encourages them to contribute to biodiversity conservation activities.
