UAE: on protected Sir Bu Nair, nature given a chance to shine On Sir Bu Nair, an island about 112 kilometres off the coast of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, nature still prevails with its unspoilt wilidlife habitats and sandy beaches where sea turtles are known to convene for breeding and sea birds such as socotra cormorants and sooty gulls have been recorded nesting, far from the bustling city. The island has become one of the most important marine-protected areas in the UAE for its geological formations, natural flora, and marine birds, and is now covered by the UN’s Ramsar Convention, a treaty for the preservation of wetlands. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES on Sir Bu Nair