Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary – RAKWS – Dubai

Wildlife.ae is the official website of the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary or RAKWS. RAKWS is one of the few urban protected areas in the world, holding approximately more than 450 species of fauna and 47 species of flora. The sanctuary also boasts  various ecosystems from mangroves, mudflats, lagoons and sabkhas to reed beds and shrub lands.

RAKWS is located at the head of the 14Km long watercourse known as Dubai Creek, and covers an area of 620 hectares featuring sabkhas saline flats, intertidal mudflats and mangroves, small lagoons and pools, and a few tiny islands which lies at the interface between the Arabian Gulf and the Al Awir Desert.

During winter, RAKWS supports more than 20,000 water birds of 67 species and acts as a critical staging ground for the wintering birds of the East African-West Asian Flyway. The site hosts more than 500 species of flora and fauna and is one of the best-managed arid zone wetlands in the region. Located within Dubai city, it is an important eco-tourism destination and receives increasing numbers of local and international visitors.

The importance of RAKWS is beyond its aesthetic value. It serves as a beacon on the significance of biodiversity as a life supporting system for humanity’s continual existence and its being an integral part of the cultural and traditional heritage of the UAE.