Sir Abu Nuʽayr (Arabic: صِيْر أَبُو نُعَيْر, romanizedṢīr Abū Nuʽayr), also known as Sir Bu Nuʽayr (Arabic: صِيْر بُو نُعَيْر, romanizedṢīr Bū Nuʿayr), or Sir al Qawasim (Arabic: صِيْر ٱلْقَوَاسِم, romanizedṢīr Al-Qawāsim; also romanized as Sir Abu Neir, Sir Bu Nair or Sir Bu Nuair) is an island in the Persian Gulf.

Sir Abu Nu'ayr
Native name:
صِيْر أَبُو نُعَيْر
Nickname: Sir Bu Nuʽayr (صِيْر بُو نُعَيْر)
Sir Al Qawasim (صِيْر ٱلْقَوَاسِم)
ISS image
Sir Abu Nu'ayr is located in United Arab Emirates
Sir Abu Nu'ayr
Sir Abu Nu'ayr
Sir Abu Nuʽayr (United Arab Emirates)
Geography
LocationPersian Gulf
Coordinates25°13′54″N 54°13′20″E / 25.23167°N 54.22222°E / 25.23167; 54.22222
Total islands1
Area13.23 km2 (5.11 sq mi)[1]
Length4.25 km (2.641 mi)[1]
Width4 km (2.5 mi)[1]
Highest elevation81 m (266 ft)[1]
Administration
EmirateSharjah
Official nameSir Bu Nair Island Protected Area
Designated2 December 2013
Reference no.2191[2]

Geography

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Lying 65 kilometres (40 mi)[3] off the coast of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, roughly 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Abu Dhabi city, and 103 kilometres (64 mi) west of Dubai, it belongs to the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.[4][5][6]

Geology

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The island is almost perfectly round with a diameter of 4 kilometres (2.5 miles), and a 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) long extension at its southeast end, making the shape of the whole island appear as a drop.[7]

The island is a salt-piercement structure formed by the movement of late Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian Hormuz Formation salt. The salt has moved progressively upward, puncturing through the younger overlying strata to create a salt dome structure. Surface expressions are composed of evaporite rocks, plus igneous rocks and quartzitic sandstone.

Environment

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The island, an environmentally protected area under the Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA),[8][9] has been registered on the list of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,[10][11][12] and was in 2012 listed as a potential UNESCO World Heritage Site.[13] The island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports populations of Socotra cormorants, sooty gulls and bridled terns.[14]

Economy

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Sharjah has a small harbour and an airfield (ICAO: OMSN),[15] both located at the island's southeast end.

Crescent Petroleum is the concession holder of the area.[16] The acreage is flanked to the north-northeast by Dubai's Fateh Oil Field complex, to the north by the Sirri Island oil field of Iran, and to the west by the prolific oil and gas fields of Abu Dhabi.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Sharjah plans five-star hotel on Bu Nuair island". GulfNews.com. 2013-05-07. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  2. ^ "Sir Bu Nair Island Protected Area". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Mega Projects That will Shape Emirates Future". MoneyShow.com. 2013-10-09. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  4. ^ Peter Hellyer; Simon Aspinall; Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (January 2005). The Emirates: a natural history. Trident Press. ISBN 978-1-905486-02-1.
  5. ^ Oxford Business Group (2008). The Report: Sharjah 2008. Oxford Business Group. pp. 10–. ISBN 978-1-902339-02-3. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ "Welcome to". Buzzdubai.com. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  7. ^ "Wildlife paradise on Sir Bu Nair island | The National". Thenational.ae. 2011-05-23. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  8. ^ "Business - Shurooq unveils Sir Bu Nuair Island project". Khaleejtimes.com. 2013-05-08. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  9. ^ Zabara, Manar (2001-04-05). "Oil slick threatens protected island near Sharjah | GulfNews.com". M.gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  10. ^ Sir Bu Nair Island Protected Area
  11. ^ "Sir Bu Nuair Island registered as international wetland". GulfNews.com. 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  12. ^ "Sharjah's Sir Bu Nair Island added to global list of protected areas | The National". Thenational.ae. 2013-12-18. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  13. ^ UNESCO World Heritage Centre (2012-01-30). "Sir Bu Nair Island - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  14. ^ "Sir Bu Na'air Island". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  15. ^ "Airport codes Sir Abu Nair, United Arab Emirates (AE) | ICAO, IATA codes, location of airports of Airport codes Sir Abu Nair, United Arab Emirates (AE) | latitude, longitude airports of Airport codes Sir Abu Nair, United Arab Emirates (AE) | coordinates of airports of Airport codes Sir Abu Nair, United Arab Emirates (AE) | International codes and coordinates of all airports in the world | International codes and coordinates of all airports in Airport codes Sir Abu Nair, United Arab Emirates (AE)". Airportsbase.org. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  16. ^ "Sir Abu Nu'ayr Concession | Select Projects | Crescent Petroleum". Crescent.ae. Archived from the original on 2014-02-28. Retrieved 2014-01-24.