ABU DHABI // It may be one of the world's most inhospitable environments for man, but conditions in the scorching deserts of southern Abu Dhabi are ideal for preserving the fragments of rock and metal that plummet to the Earth's surface from space.
With little rainfall to corrode them, and scant change to the landscape, meteorites can lie undisturbed in deserts for millennia. Thousands have been found in the Empty Quarter in Oman and the deserts of Libya, but until last year there had been no official survey in the UAE.
The findings of a two-week expedition conducted by a team from the University of Hamburg, the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi and the UK's Natural History Museum in the emirate's southern deserts last March were recently published. The team of nine found 26 strewn across the area.
"This proves that the UAE belongs to the group of states which are lucky to have sites where meteorites are concentrated," said Prof Jochen Schlüter, the curator of the University of Hamburg's Mineralogical Museum and an expert on meteorites, who led the team. "It's a good amount to find."
The decision to do the survey came after two meteorites were discovered in the southern deserts of Abu Dhabi in 2005. Heiko Kallweit, a German archaeologist, was searching for neolithic sites when he made the first official discovery of a meteorite in the UAE. It was a ureilite, particularly rare, forged from rock, graphite and diamond.
The find of UAE 001 led experts to wonder whether the deserts hid more of these scientific treasure troves, which hold information about the creation of the solar system.
"Meteorites fall all over the world in the same way and the same amount, but in most instances, if you don't find them straight away, they weather and in 10 to 20 years they are gone," said Prof Schlüter. "But in the desert, there's no rain to weather them and for a long, long time there's been no change in the Earth's surface - they can be preserved for thousands of years."
Most meteorites are about 4.5 billion years old, dating back to the creation of the solar system, and the majority come from the asteroid belt. They are considered to be the building blocks from which our solar system was formed.
"Meteorites are the ingredients and the Earth and the Moon and the Sun are the cake," Prof Schlüter said. "Meteorites - they were there at the beginning."
Small sections of each meteorite were sent to the University of Hamburg and London's Natural History Museum for analysis, but the bulk of each will remain in the UAE.
"It's important the main masses stay here. We think of them as a natural treasure, part of the country's heritage," Prof Schlüter said.
All 26 found during the survey, which ranged from a weight of 7g to 540g, were chrondites - stony meteorites despite their nickel-iron content. Ninety-five per cent of all meteorites found are stony, while four per cent are metallic and the remainder a mix. One reason metallic meteorites are rare is that they have been picked up through history and used for tools.
The rarest meteorites of all, experts say, are those blasted off Mars or the Moon by other impacts. Fewer than 50 have been found. Martian and lunar meteorites are particularly precious because they allow scientists to glean information about these bodies without the expense of sending a space mission there.
By measuring the amount of cosmic radiation, scientists can calculate how long a meteorite has lain on the Earth. Some have been found to have an "Earth age" of up to 35,000 years.
"One purpose of this research study is to help understand the geological formations in the area. This will be possible when the terrestrial age of the meteorites is determined," said Osama al Fakeer, an assistant manager at the environment agency who took part in the survey.
The co-ordinates of the meteorites were plotted, so the scientists can deduce whether they were parts of a "scatter field", created when a large meteor shatters as it blasts through the atmosphere. Some of the finds are suspected to have been part of the same meteor. "We found two pieces about two metres apart that fit together perfectly," Mr al Fakeer said.
A further study will be carried out in November.
@Email:lmorris@thenational.ae
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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
Major honours
ARSENAL
BARCELONA
- La Liga - 2013
- Copa del Rey - 2012
- Fifa Club World Cup - 2011
CHELSEA
- Premier League - 2015, 2017
- FA Cup - 2018
- League Cup - 2015
SPAIN
- World Cup - 2010
- European Championship - 2008, 2012
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
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On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Quick%20facts
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Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
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Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
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Key facilities
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
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Company profile
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Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
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Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
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Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster