In July 2018, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) launched a three-phase national project titled ‘The UAE’s Natural Wonders’. The project aims to promote ecotourism across the seven emirates and to position the UAE as a leading ecotourism hub.

The first phase of the project raises awareness about the UAE’s 43 nature reserves, which make up 14 per cent of the UAE’s territory. Under the project’s theme, the ministry launched an ecotourism microsite, an app titled Eco Tourism UAE available on iTunes and Google Play and an eBook. These resources contain information, images and videos which highlight the rich biodiversity across the country's protected areas.

To compile the material, MoCCAE teams travelled across 2,700 km and shot 380 hours of footage on the ground, as well as 350 hours using drones.

The ministry intends to collaborate with travel agencies and airlines to include these sites in their promotional packages for the UAE.

The next  phase of the project will include the UAE's mountains and sea.