The18th annual Sir Bu Nair Festival kicked off at the Sir Bu Nair Nature Reserve yesterday, Thursday, under the theme “the Sea is our Life”. 

Organised by the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah, the first day of the festival included a number of recreational, sporting, environmental, heritage and awareness activities, such as the coral aquaculture and traditional diving in collaboration with the Emirates Marine Environmental Group.

The festival attracted crowds of visitors who expressed their happiness of the activities which they eagerly await every year.

The festival aims to highlight the efforts made by the Emirate of Sharjah in conserving the cultural heritage and natural environment for future generations. In addition, the festival aims to promote the touristic and environmental importance of Sir Bu Nair Nature Reserve and to raise awareness among visitors of the island about the importance of adhering to conservation regulations and encourages them to contribute to biodiversity conservation activities.

The festival is part of Sharjah’s commitment to conserve biodiversity and connect younger generations with their environment and heritage, in accordance with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

HE Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority, said: “Coral aquaculture helps restore coral reefs and maintain sustainable marine ecosystem”. 

She added that the coral reefs in Sir Bu Nair Island are among the most diverse compared with those in other regions in the Arabian Gulf. They found at depth of over 20 meters. There are eight species of coral reefs are included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and seven species in the Near Threatened (NT) List.

Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems held together by calcium carbonate structures secreted by corals. They are built by colonies of tiny animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Coral aquaculture helps reduce pollution and encourage ecotourism.

The Island is home to resident and migratory birds, which live in colonies, as well as other species like gazelles and lizards. It is one of the key nesting sites for Hawksbill turtles and green turtles. A colony of about 1000 breeding pairs of sooty gulls and over 20,000 breeding pairs of Caspian terns are nesting in the island.

The Sir Bu Nair Island is located to the South of the Arabian Gulf on a total area of 49,6 square kilometers, with a land area of 13,3 square kilometers. It was announced as a protected area by virtue of the Amiri Decree No. 25 of 2000, issued by His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah.

The island is characterized by different geological formations, such as mountains, sand beaches, rock hills and mud surface. Sir Bu Nair was listed in the UNESCO World Heritage tentative List in 2012 in recognition of its environmental and cultural importance as the first natural site in the UAE.

Sir Bu Nair Island has been recognised by the Convention on Wetlands of International importance (Ramsar Convention) in 2013. It was included in the (IOSEA) Indian Ocean South East Asian Maine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding in 2015.

A number of government and semi-government entities are collaborating in organising the festival, including Sharjah Police General Headquarters, Sharjah Institute for Heritage, Sharjah Media Corporation, Emirates Marine Environmental Group, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, Sharjah Municipality and Sharjah International Marine Sports Club. Activities of this year are sponsored by Tilal Properties.