Posted on December, 10 2014

December 10^th, 2014: Dubai, UAE:  Emirates Wildlife Society announced that 5 additional public beaches and 2 private beaches in the UAE will receive the internationally recognized Blue Flag for the 2014-2015 season, in addition to the 21 existing Blue Flag beach and marina operators that were successfully re-awarded.  These awards came following assessment results conducted by Blue Flag UAE committee and the Blue Flag international jury.

Ida Tillisch, Director General of EWS-WWF, commented: “We are immensely proud to have such a high number of beaches in the UAE flying the prestigious Blue Flag, especially public beaches that can be enjoyed by residents and tourists alike. This achievement is a testimony to the continued efforts and hard work of site managers, authorities, and stakeholders to enhance the quality of beaches and marinas in the UAE.”
The Blue Flag is an international voluntary programme established by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). In the UAE, Blue Flag is currently being coordinated by Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF (EWS-WWF).

A total of 28 beaches and 6 marinas have been awarded the Blue Flag in the UAE since its launch in 2010. 10 of the beaches are public, providing the UAE community with clean, safe and well-maintained environment to enjoy. This number places the UAE in a leading position in the Blue Flag Programme regionally.  It also demonstrates a strong commitment from beaches and marina operators, who voluntarily chose to create clean and safe beaches.
The high number of public beaches earning the flag is particularly encouraging. By providing the general public the opportunity to enjoy more beaches in the country further proves the Blue Flag’s achievement in gaining the interest of the beaches and marinas to engage in environmental education and safety standards within only 4 years of the programme’s launch. This in turn represents a huge accomplishment by placing the UAE in a leading position in the Blue Flag programme regionally.

In order to be awarded with a Blue Flag, strict criteria must be met for environmental education and information, water quality, environmental management, safety and other services. For several years, the EWS-WWF team has been encouraging private and public beach marina operators to join this voluntary standard of environmental excellence, by advising and assisting beach and marina managers to achieve their goals.

Beaches and marinas that have been awarded the Blue Flag are therefore areas that provide a clean, safe and well maintained environment for members of the public to visit and enjoy. It is also important to emphasize on the education activities and information that these beaches and marinas provide as part of being awarded the flag, to raise awareness amongst the general public on environmental excellence. We congratulate the new and existing beaches on achieving internationally recognised environmental excellence, and we look forward to the blue flag beaches and marinas contribution to further environmental education in the UAE.
 
The newly awarded beaches are:
Abu Dhabi

• Al Bateen Ladies Beach

Dubai

• Al Mamzar Beach Park – Beach 1
• Al Mamzar Beach Park – Beach 3
• Al Mamzar Beach Park – Beach  4
• Al Mamzar Beach Park - Beach 5
• Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa
• Atlantis The Palm Dubai Hotel & Resort