Exodus threatens 'fragile' Delma

Development Council tries to provide more jobs and education on an island where tradition meets modern times.

On the island of Delma, new developments of tall, uniform buildings stand in stark contrast with older parts of town.

DELMA ISLAND // A worrying drop in the population of Delma Island has prompted authorities to take urgent measures to stem the migration. In the past seven years one in five residents has left, most of them young people seeking jobs or further-education courses on the mainland, according to the Western Region Development Council.

The population of Delma, which lies 30km off the coast of Abu Dhabi, is just 4,800, compared with 6,000 in 2001. The situation on the island serves as a microcosm of the wider problem of migration out of the Al Gharbia region for economic and educational reasons that has raised concerns in many circles. New tourism projects and efforts to support small and medium businesses are among efforts to keep people on Delma and elsewhere in the region, as well as improvements to health and educational services.

"Our main concern is keeping people there and providing services for them," said Mohammed al Mazroui, the director general of the WRDC. "We are losing people. We need to help people to make the right decision to come back." Mr Mazroui said the WRDC's plans were based on the vision laid out by the late Sheikh Zayed to bring services to the people. "It is their right to have first class services in their areas. People have a very strong attachment to their place, especially Delma," he said. "It is quite a fragile community. We have to guard their interests."

Jobs in the private sector are few and far between on the island, something the WRDC is seeking to address by working with the Khalifa Fund to support small businesses and develop the private sector. The council is also focusing efforts on improving education on the island and providing higher education for those who want it without having to leave. "We are working on improving the education system through innovative ideas, because we can't just open a university for 10 students," said Mr Mazroui. "We are looking at bringing university education maybe through IT solutions."

From just 250 residents in 1975, the island's population peaked at 10,000 in 1985. Delma is a three-hour ferry journey from the port of Jebel Dhanna. Mr Mazroui said the WRDC was emphasising improvements to the transport service, with a detailed plan expected by next month. Most people on the island are employed in the defence forces and police, the Abu Dhabi Distribution company or local government entities such as Tamm, the municipality. Some still work in agriculture and fishing, although their numbers have been dwindling.

Having already left the island for her bachelor's degree, Loulwa al Hammadi, 25, welcomes new educational and work opportunities."I want to leave again because I need to complete my master's and there is no way to progress without education," she said. One of the highlights of life on Delma, says Ms Hammadi, is the opportunity to take weekly trips to the beach. But, with new tourism projects planned, there is concern that the places where Delma's women swim will be taken over by private developers.

"I think they will take most of the beaches," she said. "One thing that girls and families can do is go to those isolated beaches." Abdullah al Hosani said: "We wish development for our island in all sectors: tourism, economy, environment. But evolution is required, as long as it is within the respect of morality." Most evenings, friends and family members gather at the majlis of Jumaa Khamees al Qubaisi. Now in his sixties, Mr Qubaisi recently retired from the local electricity provider and has returned to life on the sea as a fisherman.