News
Over 200 turtles rescued, rehabilitated in Abu Dhabi this year
Over 200 sea turtles have been rescued and rehabilated by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) since the start of the new year. EAD has been backed by its Wildlife Rescue Programme partner and the largest aquarium in the Middle East, The National Aquarium of Abu Dhabi (TNA).
Ahmed Al Hashmi, executive director, terrestrial and marine biodiversity sector at EAD, said, “Through our strategic partnership with TNA, we have been able to rescue and rehabilitate a number of turtles to ensure the longevity of several different turtle species found in Abu Dhabi waters.
Furthermore, after releasing a large majority of these turtles back into their natural habitat, our specialised research team is monitoring them on a regular basis and frequently studying their behaviour and habits.
As part of our efforts, we are very pleased to include the rehabilitation of an Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, a species rarely seen in UAE waters; this is a sign of the abundance of our biodiversity, which we aspire to conserve so that future generations can enjoy it for decades to come.”
Due to the increasing number of turtles that continue being stranded in Abu Dhabi’s waters every year, EAD is now ramping up its efforts to further protect and conserve native wildlife. Accordingly, they have now added more manpower and invested in building state-of-the-art facilities.
Beatriz Maquieira, curator at TNA, added, “Sea turtles are among the most migratory animals on the globe, and two of the seven marine turtle species found worldwide frequent Abu Dhabi’s waters – the critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle and the endangered Green Turtle. With over 5,000 sea turtles residing in Abu Dhabi and a huge number of turtles arriving on a yearly basis, we want to continue providing the finest care possible for these animals.”
In 2021, the collaboration between EAD and TNA productively led to the rescue and rehabilitation of 250 sea turtles, of which, 150 were released back into the ocean, and three were satellite tagged. Additional release events took place last summer and now the current rescue of more than 200 turtles, which is the strongest start yet, will soon be released back into the Arabian Gulf; the current rescues can be seen one last time at The National Aquarium before the release commences.
Salik is taking another step beyond toll collection, announcing plans to introduce smart parking and vehicle access systems across three of Dubai’s major economic zones.
Under a new agreement with the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), the company will explore parking optimisation and access control solutions covering more than 21,000 parking spaces at Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZ), Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai CommerCity.
The proposed systems are designed to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion, prevent misuse of parking spaces and make it easier for businesses, employees and visitors to move around the free zones.
The partnership marks the launch of a new business vertical for Salik as it continues expanding beyond its traditional road toll operations into wider mobility and digital transport services.
What will change?
The companies plan to integrate their technology platforms to create a connected parking and vehicle access system across the three zones.
Planned features include:
- Smart parking management
- Automated vehicle access control
- Improved traffic flow within free zones
- Better use of available parking spaces
- Unified operating standards across all three locations
Which areas are covered?
The project will span:
- Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZ)
- Dubai Silicon Oasis
- Dubai CommerCity
Together, the three locations offer more than 21,000 parking spaces serving businesses, residents, investors and visitors.
No timeline has yet been announced for when the new systems will be rolled out.
Salik’s next move: Smart parking coming to Dubai Silicon Oasis, DAFZ and Dubai CommerCity
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