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An Overview:
If you were to drive through the U.A.E along the west coast from south to north, you would first witness the flat plains of Abu Dhabi that would soon transition into sandy plains dotted with a few halophyte plants such as the "Salsola imbricata" that have methods of dealing with the high concentrations of salt in the soil. As you continue to drive eventually the increase of sand between bushes of "Crotalaria persica","Cornulaca monacantha", "Calotropis procera", and "Taverniera spartea" will become noticeable. This terrain marks the beginning of your botanical adventure into Dubai! Other plants that are also abundant in these sandy coastal areas are the parasitic "Cistanche tubulosa" and "Cynomorium coccineum" which are edible. Most of the area has gone barren now because of overgrazing with the exception of a strip of land (10 meters wide) protected by fences originally meant to keep the animals (mainly camels) from colliding with passing traffic. (source)
Environmental Concerns/What is being done as a result:
Outside these "camel fences"(mentioned above), hardly any trace of vegetation is left. The moths' larvae feed on the plants that were once there, which has resulted in the disappearance of many species of moths at an alarming rate. The importance of these moths in the food chain have resulted in some species leveling on the verge of extinction while others are decreasing in numbers(not enough to be on the verge of extinction). In 2010, it was revealed by the Worldwide Wildlife Fund (WWF) that the U.A.E (as a whole) was rated as number one in the world for having the biggest ecological footprint. After the announcement, a team of scientists started to research methods to better regulate energy consumption. This resulted in the U.A.E being the third country to develop the "Ecological Footprint Initiative" (after Switzerland and Japan). Since then according to Dr. Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd , the footprint per person has gone down from 9.5 gha (global hectare) to 8.4 in 2012. Dr. Fahd has also mentioned that the U.A.E 2030 plans include to reduce carbon emissions by 40%. The beginning of 2013 saw the change of some regulations which has improved the standard of lighting equipment utilized in homes (city-wide). (source)
Be My Witness:
Attractions in regards of "plant sightseeing" include:
-International Plants Expo(Nov 9-11 of 2014, held at Dubai World Trade Centre)
-Public Parks(usually have horticulture areas) One example (below)
-by Daniela Lin (botanist)