The Regulations, Codes of conduct & Practice for DDCR

The Lappet-faced Vulture, a regular winter visitor to the DDCR, has a wingspan of 2.5-3 metres (8-10 feet)

Location & Zones

DDCR Map
Tour Operators
Vegetation

DDCR

No effort has been spared to protect the fragile desert ecosystem. The Reserve represents a permanently protected area ensuring the future of the region’s desert habitats and bio-diversity managed according to sound scientific ecological principles, aimed at protecting natural resources and maintaining original desert landscapes.

Zones

In line with international conservation practices, the Reserve is segregated into four zones, each with a prescribed utilisation plan, from a complete exclusion zone which can be visited only on foot by researchers, to a limited vehicle access zone for safari groups, excursions and dune camps.

Zone 1

No human intervention is allowed in this area, except entry for research and observation purposes. This prevents unnecessary interference to breeding sites and locations which support plant re-growth. The wildlife is free to move around this entire Reserve Zone area.

Zone 2

Human intervention is limited to infrastructure which supports wildlife and habitat programmes, such as watering points and supplementary feeding stations. This Zone is used for ‘seeding’ indigenous plant populations.

Zone 3

There are three areas in this zone which are set aside for low environmental impact development. These areas are restricted, with only two percent of the allocated areas used for development. Visitor capacity is set at 0.5 square kilometres per visitor, per day. Only resort guests are permitted within these areas. No day-visitors are allowed.

Zone 4

This Zone is comprised of four areas set aside for recreational desert excursions. Only approved Dubai-based safari operators with qualified and registered guides are permitted to conduct four-wheel dune driving excursions and organise small dune dinner camps in these areas. Four-wheel excursions are restricted to pre-planned routes.

Flora Diversity

The Brillouin index was used to estimate the floral diversity across the DDCR, where the highest distribution class represents flora diversity hotspot.

Calotropis procera

Evergreen shrub up to 5m tall; milky sap excreted when any part of the plant is broken, old branches are hollow; while young branches are smooth, whitish. Leaves; opposite attached directly to the stem; gray green; round to ovoid up to l7cm to 25cm, covered with fine white woolly hairs when leaves are young while turn smooth when older.

Centropodia forsskaolii

A small loosely tufted, perennial grass up to 30cm, with Rhizomes often with adherent sand, stems covered with minute hairs, much branched from base, forming tussocks.

Crotalaria aegyptiaca

Erect and spreading perennial shrub up to 1m with undivided or branched stiff stems, grey green, slightly hairy. Branches stiffly ascending or short and pointed, branches forking at right angles.

Cyperus conglomeratus

Perennial sedge, variable in aspect from dwarf form with single stem a few cm high to bushy plants with several stems up to 70cm in height. Roots rigid, fibrous and woolly covered with a thick coating of sand, base of the plant usually surrounded by old brown leaf sheaths. Stems stout; young growth pale green but for much of year plant is dull brown or straw-like.

Dipterygium glaucum

Perennial shrub but often flowering and fruiting in the first year, glabrous, yellowish green, erect to 80cm high. Stems slender much branched from woody base, above rootstock branches thin, smooth and pliable.

Fagonia indica

Perennial shrub with woody base up to 80cm, stems much branched with smooth but slender pale green stems, mostly ascending, circular in cross section with short grooved internodes and swollen joints, each node bears 3-5 unequal spines, 5mm to 2cm.

Heliotropium digynum

Perennial densely branched shrub with woody base, stems round, whitish, small plant erect; older ones spreading outwards, up to 60cm.

Indigofera colutea

Perennial, woody, stems straggly, spreading, up to 50cm, densely covered with glands and very short hairs.

Leptadenia pyrotechnica

Perennial leafless shrub up to 3m high, milky latex produced when stems or branches broken, branches are smooth, slender, and green.

Limeum arabicum

Straggly perennial erect shrub up to 80cm, stems intricately tangled; very thin waxy-white angular stems, branches gently zigzagging at 3-5cm intervals. Whole plant appears fragile, whole plant covered with minute glands to which fine sands tend to cling.

Moltkiopsis ciliata

Small perennial woody base shrub, up to 25cm high, with white younger branches, the plant covered with stiff white hairs.

Pennisetum divisum

Tufted perennial shrubby desert grass with short woody rootstock, much branched, up to 120cm high, stems bent at swollen brown nodes and often appears dry and dead.

Rhanterium epaposum

Perennial shrub intricately branched up to 70cm high.

Stipagrostis plumose

Tufted perennial grass up to 60cm, base of the grass are dense with many dead stems and old sheaths, whitish in colour, stems thin, bent at lowest nodes but erect above, lower stems between nodes and leaf sheaths are woolly.

Tribulus pentandrus

Perennial, stems branching from the base, prostrate or spreading, up to 40cm high, covered with short white hairs.

Location & Zones

DDCR

Zones

Zone 1

Zone 2

Zone 3

Zone 4

Tour Operators (2016)

Al Maha

Alpha Destination Management

Arabian Adventures

Frying Pan Adventures

Lama Tours

Platinum Heritage

Royal Shaheen

Travco