Dr Paul Sullivan is a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and senior research associate at the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies
August 04, 2022
Coral reefs cover 1 per cent of the ocean floor, but support 25 per cent of the known marine life of the planet. They are the nurseries for much of the fish and marine life that we enjoy and consume.
One billion people rely on coral reefs for employment, income, food and protection, either directly or indirectly. Hundreds of millions of jobs are associated with reefs, such as diving, tourism and fishing. As well as being a major source of protein for many people, coral reefs are also potential sources of important medicines for arthritis, cancer and blood diseases.
They add $36 billion to world tourism income and they may add as much as $3 trillion to the world economy. Coral reefs protect land, properties and ecosystems surrounding them. As they are superb wave breaks, many coastal communities, hotel chains, industries and governments rely on them. But the world has lost 50 per cent of its reefs since 1950, and their biodiversity has dropped by 63 per cent. If this trend continues we may lose 90 per cent of them by 2050.
The greatest threats to reefs are global warming, pollution, overbuilding, overfishing and illegal fishing, population growth and the increased acidity of the ocean; 25 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions are absorbed by the ocean, making it more acidic. More than 90 per cent of increased heat as a result of climate change is absorbed by the sea.
The shells will help to form biological building blocks to create artificial reefs. All photos: Dubai Oyster Project
Pupils from The Arbor School in Dubai have teamed up with a restaurant group for the Dubai Oyster Project.
They are using used oyster shells from The Maine restaurants in Dubai, which are usually just thrown out and end up in landfills, to create artificial reefs.
They placed more than 250,000 of the used shells near the Ghantoot border.
They used illegal fishing nets seized by authorities to help transport the shells to the water's edge.
The project will also help to reduce the amount of food waste.
The subsequent rise in temperature and acidity cause coral bleaching and disease. The massive bleaching events in the Great Barrier Reef are horrific examples of this. Corals in the GCC have suffered a similar fate. Fortunately, some northern Red Sea corals have so far not been harmed as much by rising temperatures, but that does not mean they won’t be if the trend continues.
The population of the GCC has grown vastly, especially since the 1970s. Along with this rise in population came the growth of industry, shipping and cities. All of this has put pressure on reefs. Tourism, another sector that has seen significant expansion in the region, can be damaging to reefs.
Fortunately, laws and regulations have changed in many areas of the GCC. And ecotourism in some places is now actually becoming a means to help protect reefs.
In the years ahead, tourism as a percentage of GDP has the potential to be much more than the present 8 per cent in Oman, as much as 10 per cent for Saudi Arabia, more than 12 per cent for the UAE and almost 17 per cent for Bahrain.
Saudi Arabia has great plans for ecotourism. Neom, a vast new and futuristic city the government is investing in, will have coral reefs as part of its tourism plan. The UAE is also developing marine ecotourism. In 2021, the ecotourism sector in the GCC was worth more than $500 million, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia dominating.
The region’s fishing sector is relatively small, but its imports are huge. GCC consumers, therefore, can also help fragile reefs by using their purchasing power to move exporters to more sustainable methods of fishing.
Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Getty
In terms of official initiatives to protect marine ecosystems, Saudi Arabia is pursuing the huge investment of the Saudi Green Initiative. Vision 2030, the county’s development plan up until 2030, also has provisions for the environment, and the kingdom is currently pursuing eco-partnerships with Unesco and Monaco’s Prince Albert II Foundation, among many other international organisations. The Red Sea Development Corporation is also taking up the mantle.
For the UAE’s part, the country has been taking action: from sinking boat hulls to create artificial reefs, to outlawing sand removal and certain types of fishing that damage reefs. The country has also developed many marine protected areas and parks and has toughened up laws and regulations to protect reefs.
There is important work also being done in other parts of the GCC. Petroleum Development Oman and Sultan Qaboos University have some significant coral development projects, among many other legal, regulatory and research efforts.
Bahrain is rebuilding coral reefs ruined by the dredging of canals with the help of The Rotary Club, an international humanitarian organisation.
The G20’s Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform, the Kuwait Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment and Coastal Areas, as well as the Regional Organisation for the Protection of the Marine Environment, based in Kuwait, are other examples of GCC multinational approaches to this important issue.
Each of these countries could benefit massively from protecting their reefs. Future ecotourism incomes could be many times what they are now, and many jobs could be created. Most of all, protecting reefs is an important responsibility for safeguarding the region’s natural heritage for future generations. Can any country afford to lose these delicate and life-sustaining places? The answer is a resounding no.
Dr Paul Sullivan is a senior non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at. Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti withCoastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
If you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Chicago from Dh5,215 return including taxes.
The hotels
Recommended hotels include the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, located in an iconic skyscraper complete with a 1929 Olympic-size swimming pool from US$299 (Dh1,100) per night including taxes, and the Omni Chicago Hotel, an excellent value downtown address with elegant art deco furnishings and an excellent in-house restaurant. Rooms from US$239 (Dh877) per night including taxes.
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
Option 2: 50% across three years
Option 3: 30% across five years
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah 5.10pm: Continous 5.45pm: Raging Torrent 6.20pm: West Acre 7pm: Flood Zone 7.40pm: Straight No Chaser 8.15pm: Romantic Warrior 8.50pm: Calandogan 9.30pm: Forever Young
The stats: 2017 Jaguar XJ
Price, base / as tested Dh326,700 / Dh342,700
Engine 3.0L V6
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 340hp @ 6,000pm
Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Key facilities
Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
