• The numbers of Arabian oryx had increased by 22 per cent since the last aerial survey in March 2017. Courtesy, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
    The numbers of Arabian oryx had increased by 22 per cent since the last aerial survey in March 2017. Courtesy, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
  • A total of 83 calves were recorded. Courtesy, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
    A total of 83 calves were recorded. Courtesy, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
  • The Arabian oryx has been brought back from the brink of extinction, thanks to several projects in the UAE. Courtesy, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
    The Arabian oryx has been brought back from the brink of extinction, thanks to several projects in the UAE. Courtesy, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
  • Arabian Oryx at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve area. Their status has been changed from "endangered" to "vulnerable".
    Arabian Oryx at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve area. Their status has been changed from "endangered" to "vulnerable".

Scientists ensure survival of Arabian oryx


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

An international team led by the University of Sydney has undertaken a project to decode the DNA of the Arabian oryx, in a world first.

The team aims to ensure the survival of the species by using the genetic data to design breeding programmes in close collaboration with a conservation programme in Oman.

The Arabian oryx became extinct in the wild in 1972 because of hunting and poaching. But it continued to exist in captivity through breeding programmes, including in the UAE, and by private collectors in Saudi Arabia.

UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, ordered the establishment of a captive breeding programme for the endangered Arabian oryx in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, 1968.

In 1978 two male and two female Arabian oryx were transferred from Al Ain to Sir Bani Yas Island, now home to a thriving number of oryx.

Sheikh Zayed’s programme led to Arabian oryx being released inside and outside the UAE, now overseen by the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Arabian Oryx Reintroduction Programnme.

It was the first animal to be rescued from extinction in the wild and remains a cultural and national symbol in the Gulf region.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species says the Arabian oryx continues to face a high risk of extinction in the wild.

But in Sydney, Prof Jaime Gongora, his former PhD student Qais Al Rawahi, and his colleagues decided to address this by analysing the population’s DNA and proposing breeding strategies based on the results.

Their study on this has been published in Royal Society Open Science.

“There is more to the preservation of the Arabian oryx than conservation,” Prof Gongora said.

“Historically and now, it has strong cultural significance in the Arabian Peninsula due to its unique physical features and strength, enabling it to live in harsh desert environments.

"It has even become a national icon in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. That’s why we are working so hard to ensure it survives – for the oryx itself and to keep this cultural connection alive.

“This work ... could serve as a benchmark for the long-term sustainability of other conservation programmes.

"This includes those taking place at [Oman's] Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve involving the sand gazelle, the mountain gazelle and the Nubian ibex.”

Arabian oryx are unique animals distinguished by the length of their horns, which can grow up to one metre.

They can travel 75 kilometres a day searching for food, and are known for sensing the location of coming rain, towards which they travel to drink. They also consume plants that thrive in moister conditions, such as acacias.

They have a lifespan of between 15 and 20 years and are a key food source for other species on the Arabian Peninsula including striped hyena, Arabian wolves and lynxes.

The scimitar-horned oryx at Deleika Wildlife Management Centre in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
The scimitar-horned oryx at Deleika Wildlife Management Centre in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

As part of the project, the researchers gathered and tested genetic samples from 138 Arabian oryxes at Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve, and 36 historical samples from the Phoenix Zoo – the offspring of a herd established there in the 1970s.

They studied the maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA and biparentally inherited single nucleotide polymorphisms, which are genetic variations used to identify species.

They discovered that the Arabian oryx’s gene pool was moderately diverse, meaning that herds can respond to changing environments and maintain good health.

In fact, at 58 per cent of the total diversity, the current-day sample was more genetically diverse than the historical ones.

“This means that conservation strategies based on random mating could be reasonably successful,” said Prof Gongora, the lead author of the study.

The team uncovered three ancestral groups, but their genetics were not evenly distributed across the current-day herds in the wildlife reserve.

Based on this, they suggest a targeted breeding strategy in which females can breed with males from the other genetic lineages.

“To ensure the survival of the species, it’s not just about population size – it’s about genetic diversity,” Prof Gongora said.

He and his colleagues are working with Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve to implement this strategy.

The researchers also recommend that the Arabian oryxs' genetic samples be stored in a biobank for future genetic analyses.

And bio-banking of eggs and sperm samples could also be considered as a long-term insurance policy against extinction.

2.0

Director: S Shankar

Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films

Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

Neil Thomson – THE BIO

Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.

Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.

Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.

Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.

Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.

Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.

Ruwais timeline

1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established

1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants

1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed

1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.  

1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex

2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea

2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd

2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens

2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies

2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export

2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.

2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery 

2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital

2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13

Source: The National

Three ways to limit your social media use

Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.

1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.

2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information. 

3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

JAPAN SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa

 

 

Sheer grandeur

The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.

A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.

Updated: March 16, 2022, 4:47 AM