Qatar - Khor Al-Adaid natural reserve

The Khor Al-Adaid area, also known regionally as the ‘Inland Sea', is located in the south-east of the State of Qatar. The area presents a remarkable landscape formed by a globally unique combination of geological and geomorphological features. These features themselves create a diverse scenery of exceptional, undeveloped natural beauty, in what remains predominantly a ‘wilderness area'. Each landscape unit on its own, notably the Arabian Gulf, large mobile dunes, the tidal embayment system, inland and coastal sabkha, recently discovered "salt hummocks", stony deserts, elevated mesas and rocky outcrops, as well as the transition between each of them, contribute to the unique character of Qatar's southern territory. This intrinsic attractiveness, of a largely uninhabited area, is added to by the presence of a diverse native terrestrial flora and fauna alongside a varied and sensitive marine ecosystem. The flora present in the area is typical of those habitats represented and supports species and communities mostly widespread on the Arabian Peninsula, yet not occurring in the same combination in any other single locality. The fauna includes several species which are internationally rare and/or threatened, for example Dugong and Turtles, with populations of certain species of bird being of national and regional importance, e.g. long-distance migrant waterfowl winter, and regionally declining breeding species also resident, including Ospreys nesting on islets. Terrestrial areas continue to support Arabian Gazelles, while there are plans to reintroduce Arabian Oryx within the hinterland of Khor al-Adaid.