Dubai hoteliers, residents clean up popular desert camping spot

[vc_row el_class=”container section”][vc_column el_class=”row”][vc_row_inner el_class=”row”][vc_column_inner][expatmedia-landing-article title=”landing article”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner el_class=”col-md-8 “][vc_column_inner el_class=”col-md-8″][expatmedia-article-content body_text=”Nothing, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt.

Consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis.” byline=”Jonathan Ybera” caption=”Staff from IntercityHotel Dubai Jaddaf Waterfront during the desert cleanup drive on December 20, 2019.” credits=”JONATHAN YBERA/EXPAT MEDIA”]

Dubai hoteliers, residents clean up popular desert camping spot

DUBAI – A popular desert camping spot on the outskirts of Dubai got cleaner by less than 1.2 tonnes of litter after hoteliers, enthusiast desert drivers and their family got together for a cleanup drive over the weekend.

Volunteers from IntercityHotel Dubai Jaddaf Waterfront, Emirates Offroaders, Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay and their family and friends gave up their Friday afternoon to comb the desert in the Tawi Nazwa area for debris.

The cleanup brigade were able to fill large garbage bags with empty plastic bottles, plastic packaging, shards of glass, toys, metal, tents and a mixed bag of items discarded by many of the visitors to the popular camping spot. After sundown, the team also headed to another popular camping site called Pink Rock to continue their cleanup campaign.

“We picked up glass shards, tins, plastic… all very upsetting to see,” Aylin Nöske, General Manager of IntercityHotel Dubai Jaddaf Waterfront, told Expatmedia.net. She urged residents to do their part in “making the world a better place”.

“We’re living on it, we’re enjoying it, we’re going on desert rides; going for walks and we wouldn’t be enjoying these if they’re not clean and nice to look at. And obviously it’s not good for health,” she said.

Imtiaz Ismael, a member of Emirates Offroaders, picked up the weirdest item in the bunch: a car music console that was just lying on the sand. “It’s mind boggling why it was left here,” Ismael said, throwing the junk in the backseat of his modified 4-wheel drive.

The Dubai resident, who has taken up desert driving as a hobby in the last seven years, said: “As you keep cleaning your home, clean your second home as well. Clean the house, clean the desert. This is the second home for us.”

Apart from making the desert look unsightly, litter strewn in the desert also poses a huge risk for animals, experts said.

Environmentalists have repeatedly warned about the dangers of leaving behind garbage in the desert, particularly for animals. Every year, thousands of wildlife, including camels and gazelles, die after eating plastic debris. The plastic waste can end up in their stomachs, leaving them unable to digest food and ultimately causing their death.

Nöske said her team of “hoteliers with passion” remain committed to sustainable tourism and environment protection.

“As part of the community in Dubai, we want to do our part in conserving the planet and making sure that our environment remains sustainable for future generations,” said the energetic general manager of IntercityHotel Dubai Jaddaf Waterfront.

She said that the newly opened hotel in Jaddaf Waterfront plans to continue its campaign by partnering with environment organisations to “donate some of our earnings from our takeaway biodegradable items”.

The hotel bans single-use plastics in its premises and supplies guests with recyclable glass water bottles. JY/PIA/Expat Media

In pictures

Photos by Jonathan Ybera

[/expatmedia-article-content][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner][expatmedia-related-posts enable_pagination=”no” layout=”2-col” posts_query=”size:6|order_by:date|post_type:post|categories:35″ title=”More Society Stories” thumb_size=”expatmedia-post-thumbnail”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner el_class=”col-md-4″][vc_column_inner][expatmedia-latest-posts read_more_text=”Read more →” posts_query=”size:10|order_by:date|post_type:post” title=”LATEST NEWS”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”border-box border-box-mwidth business–popular-ad”][expatmedia-guides-posts posts_query=”size:3|order_by:date|post_type:post|categories:35″ title=”POPULAR IN SOCIETY”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner][expatmedia-html custom_content=”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”][expatmedia-subscription title=”Subscribe”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”border-box border-box-mwidth business–popular-ad”][expatmedia-guides-posts page_link=”http://expatmedia.net/guides/” posts_query=”size:3|order_by:date|post_type:post|categories:2″ title=”Guides”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner][svc_social_stream twitter_type=”@” twitter_num=”4″ skin_type=”template” grid_columns_count_for_desktop=”vcyt-col-md-12″ grid_columns_count_for_tablet=”vcyt-col-sm-12″ grid_columns_count_for_mobile=”vcyt-col-xs-12″ excerpt_length=”150″ loadmore=”no” title=”Twitter Post” twitter_id=”ExpatMediaUAE”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]