Bul Syayeef

Flamingos against the backdrop of Abu Dhabi city
Flamingos with Mangroves in the background

Bul Syayeef

  • Country: 
    United Arab Emirates
  • Site number: 
    2293
  • Area: 
    14,504.5 ha
  • Designation date: 
    27-09-2016
  • Coordinates: 
    24°18'N 54°20'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

Bul Syayeef is a coastal wetland covering over 14,500 hectares in the west of the Musaffah channel, about 20 kilometres outside Abu Dhabi City. The international importance of the Site is due to its highly diverse wetland habitats including mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass beds, and the large number of species which they host. Its tidal mudflats are home to over 80 migratory and resident birds. In 2009 it hosted one of the largest breeding events of the greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) with a record of 2,000 breeding pairs and 801 hatchlings. The Site also supports globally threatened species such as the critically endangered hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the endangered green turtle (Chelonia mydas). The greater spotted eagle (Aquila clanga), the Socotra cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis) and the dugong (Dugong dugon) are all classed as vulnerable. Potential threats within and around the Site are related to the growth of housing and commercial and industrial areas, transportation and fishing activities.

Administrative region: 
Abu Dhabi Emirate

  • National legal designation: 
    • Under declaration process - Bul Syayeef Marine Protected Area
  • Last publication date: 
    01-05-2017

Downloads

Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)

Additional reports and documents