While some questions have been raised about the long-term success of a joint Emirati-Jordanian project to reintroduce endangered Arabian oryx into the wild, experts have defended the conservation efforts.
The project in Jordan's Wadi Rum is the latest in a series of schemes to reintroduce the animal into the wild. The small ungulate variety was once populous across the Arabian peninsula but became officially extinct in the wild in 1972 as a result of over-hunting and the destruction of its habitat.
Conservation efforts began only a few years later, but their success has been limited, and some experts believe that this latest attempt, a joint project between the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority in Jordan (ASEZA), will fare no better.
Earlier this year 20 Arabian oryx - 12 females and eight males - were flown to Jordan from Abu Dhabi as part of a conservation agreement between the EAD and ASEZA. The deal, signed in 2007 when Abu Dhabi agreed to fund the US$1.1 million (Dh4m) Wadi Rum project, is valid for three years. The animals were finally released into Wadi Rum in July.
According to Mohammed al Bawardi, the managing director of the EAD and secretary general of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, the plan to reinvigorate a dwindling Arabian oryx population was born in the 1970s under Sheikh Zayed, the founding President of the UAE, who kept two breeding pairs in captivity.
Abu Dhabi holds the largest population of the endangered species in the world, with around 4,000 animals.
A similar 2005 trial in Wadi Rum was troubled: the six animals introduced had difficulty adapting to the mountainous terrain. Two deaths resulted from oryx falling on the rocky cliffs. Of the animals that did survive, two produced two offspring, but not enough to regenerate a non-existent population.
Nevertheless, Mahmoud Bdour, who works for both the ASEZA and Jordan's Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), maintains that the rocky, mountainous ecosystem in Wadi Rum is suitable for the reintroduction programme. But Yahia Khaled, a biologist and director general of the RSCN, argues that the Arabian oryx may be native to Jordan, but not to Wadi Rum.
"It's a desert animal, yes, but it's not a mountain animal," he said, adding that the RSCN had been conducting studies for years, looking at the suitability of Wadi Rum as a location for oryx. It concluded that the area was too heavily grazed, making it easy for diseases to be transferred.
"The oryx need to be released in a less mountainous area than Wadi Rum," he said.
Dr Frederic Launay, a biologist and trustee at the Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, who is not connected to the project, said it was too soon to speculate about the success of the Wadi Rum venture but that ruling out a positive outcome was cynical. To be meaningful, he said, a conservation programme such as this required long-term commitment.
"A lot has been learnt about species reintroduction since the beginning of the 20th century," Dr Launay said. "But you need this funding for a long time. You need follow-up. All the causes of the original decline need to be removed and controlled.
"Habitat, quality, size, protection and management all need to be secured. Conservation is a dynamic process; you really need to do it forever."
The animals just released in the wadi - an area of 720 sq km - may also face the problem of conflicting interpretations of the environmental laws and regulations meant to protect them and their habitat.
Until 2002, Wadi Rum fell under the jurisdiction of the RSCN, before being transferred to the ASEZA.
According to Mr Bdour, hunting is permitted in Wadi Rum. But according to a copy of Jordan's environmental laws obtained by The National, Wadi Rum is not among the legal hunting areas. The laws also ban any human activity in the protected area that would have any effect on flora and fauna, cause pollution or in any way hinder the survival of species.
The ASEZA is bound by these laws as steward of Wadi Rum to "provide adequate protected area" for the Arabian oryx and other endangered species released in this area.
Unfortunately for the project, Mr Khaled said, the ASEZA could not enforce laws outside the Wadi Rum area.
"Hunting and poaching were a big problem here which has been improved in the protected area, but you have to understand that the oryx were released from Wadi Rum, not to Wadi Rum," he said.
"They're going to roam outside the area."
jhume@thenational.ae
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Rafael Nadal's record at the MWTC
2009 Finalist
2010 Champion
Jan 2011 Champion
Dec 2011 Semi-finalist
Dec 2012 Did not play
Dec 2013 Semi-finalist
2015 Semi-finalist
Jan 2016 Champion
Dec 2016 Champion
2017 Did not play
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE%20HOLDOVERS
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
NO OTHER LAND
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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
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On sale: Available for preorder now
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Raha%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kuwait%2FSaudi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tech%20Logistics%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2414%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Soor%20Capital%2C%20eWTP%20Arabia%20Capital%2C%20Aujan%20Enterprises%2C%20Nox%20Management%2C%20Cedar%20Mundi%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20166%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner: Dirilis Ertugrul, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer)
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: Kidd Malibu, Sandro Paiva, Musabah Al Muhairi
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
Winner: Raakezz, Tadhg O’Shea, Nicholas Bachalard
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
Winner: Au Couer, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
Winner: Rayig, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
Winner: King’s Shadow, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
