It began with the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR).
Working alongside the Dubai Government, Emirates established
this reserve to protect critical desert habitat and a variety of
endangered species – it is still the largest protected area in
the UAE today. The DDCR was also the first conservation area
officially protected in the UAE, with a constitution and
environmental law dedicated to ensuring its status as a nature
reserve. The DDCR takes up a massive 225km2, or 5% of Dubai’s
total land mass, and also includes a leading conservation-based
luxury resort. As well as protecting several endangered large
mammal species, such as the Arabian and Scimitar-horned Oryx,
the DDCR is a major contributor to both local scientific
research and conservation efforts. 100% of all visitor revenue
from DCCR is spent on conversation and wildlife care, with
Emirates also sponsoring a dedicated conservation team of eight
ecologists and wildlife specialists. After five years of
planning, Emirates opened the 1,250 hectare