A combination of ambition, perseverance and wheelbarrows of Middle Eastern oil money has turned a barren wasteland into a holiday haven
Anyone stepping onto the shores of Sir Bani Yas Island will find all the trappings of a modern holiday destination. Five-star hotels? Check. A pristine beach with luxury cabanas for hire? Check. Tiki-style watering holes? Check. What’s more, beyond the shore, there’s a green-tinged interior where 17,000 animals roam.
It’s paradise. Rewind five decades, however, and the island was about as inviting as an asteroid – a dry, desolate salt dome, formed of 600-million-year-old sediment. What followed was a lesson in what can be done with a combination of ambition, perseverance and wheelbarrows of Middle Eastern oil money.
Sir Bani Yas was a vision manifested by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder and first president of the UAE. Sheikh Zayed ruled from 1971 until his death in 2004. Dubbed ‘Zayed the Great’, he was a keen conservationist and under his direction vast sums were invested to transform Sir Bani Yas Island into a green oasis for endangered animals.
Over a period of 30 years, the barren earth was irrigated and more than seven million desert-variety trees were planted for animals to feed on, and sea defences, a jetty, an airport, roads and a royal residence were constructed.