If you’re looking for a unique and luxurious getaway in an exotic Middle East location, look no further than the desert resorts of the UAE just outside of Abu Dhabi or Dubai. These remarkable retreats offer a combination of serenity, adventure, and authentic Arabian experiences, perfect for those seeking both relaxation and excitement. Whether it’s dining beneath the stars, indulging in spa treatments under the open sky, or simply soaking in the beauty of the desert landscape, these resorts promise unforgettable memories. Ask for sustainability commitments before you book or when you get there be an inquisitive guest.

Dubai

Al Maha Desert Resort

Located just an hour from Dubai, Al Maha Desert Resort is a true desert oasis. Set amidst the vast dunes, the resort features 42 exclusive villas, each with its own private pool, providing guests with unparalleled privacy. Spend your days lounging by your private pool or visit the resort’s outdoor pool, where you can relax with sweeping views of the desert. The resort’s all-day dining restaurant, Al Diwaan, offers exquisite meals, while the spa provides a range of treatments to ensure total relaxation. Guests may even be greeted by Arabian Oryx and gazelles while enjoying breakfast on their private terrace.

Rates start at Dhs3,616. About $950 a night. Tel: (0)4 832 9900. marriott.com

Bab Al Shams Desert Resort

A short drive from Dubai, Bab Al Shams is a renowned luxury desert retreat that blends adventure with comfort. Recently renovated in 2022, the resort now offers enhanced guest rooms, exciting new culinary offerings, and a host of outdoor activities such as fat biking, desert safaris, and archery. Dining experiences include the Middle Eastern-inspired Ninive restaurant and the Anwā Sunset Lounge, where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the desert as the sun sets.

Rates from Dhs1,050 about $300 USD a night. Tel: (0)4 809 6100. babalshams.com

Terra Solis Dubai

For an authentic Bedouin-inspired escape, Terra Solis Dubai provides a truly unique experience. Situated in a vast 371,000-square-metre landscape, this desert resort features luxurious accommodations such as spacious Polaris bell tents, Perseid lodges, and Orion pool lodges. With its star constellation-inspired design and serene surroundings, Terra Solis is an ideal retreat just 30 minutes from the city.

Rates from Dhs440 about 100 USD a night. Tel: (0)4 456 1956. terrasolisdubai.com

Abu Dhabi

Anantara Qasr Al Sarab

Nestled in the heart of the Empty Quarter, Anantara Qasr Al Sarab is a secluded desert sanctuary offering breathtaking views across endless rolling dunes. The resort features 140 rooms, 14 suites, and 52 private pool villas, each beautifully decorated with traditional Arabian touches. Separated from the main resort, the villas offer ultimate privacy, and the serene atmosphere makes it an ideal destination for those seeking both relaxation and adventure.

Rates from Dhs936 about $250 USD a night. Tel: (0)2 886 2088. anantara.com

Bateen Liwa Resort

A new addition to the Abu Dhabi desert resorts, Bateen Liwa Resort offers a luxurious experience in the heart of the desert. This resort is part of Bab Al Nojoum’s glamping collection and features private villas with plunge pools, alfresco dining spaces, and fire pits. With facilities like a modern spa, infinity pool, and stargazing experiences, Bateen Liwa Resort ensures that guests enjoy both comfort and adventure in an extraordinary desert setting.

Rates from Dhs692 about $200 USD a night. Tel: (0)2 894 8888. babalnojoum.com

Ras Al Khaimah

The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert

The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert is set within a 1,235-acre protected nature reserve, offering the perfect blend of tranquility and adventure. Guests can stay in luxurious Bedouin-style villas, each with its own private pool and stunning desert views. For a truly immersive experience, try activities like camel trekking, archery lessons, or nature walks. The resort’s dining options, including Sonara Camp and the open-sky Moon Bar, offer a perfect end to your day in the desert.

Rates from Dhs1,329 about $400 USD a night. Tel: (0)7 206 7777. ritzcarlton.com

Sharjah

Al Badayer Retreat

Al Badayer Retreat in Sharjah offers a unique blend of adventure, culture, and serenity. Situated inside a traditional Arabian fort, the resort provides modern comforts while offering authentic Emirati experiences like falconry, dune bashing, and quad biking. With its focus on eco-friendly luxury, Al Badayer Retreat offers an unforgettable stay in the heart of the desert.

Rates from Dhs350 about $150 USD a night. Tel: (0)6 556 0777. sharjahcollection.ae

Al Faya Retreat

For those seeking privacy and tranquility, Al Faya Retreat in Mleiha desert is the perfect choice. This luxurious retreat, originally built in the 1960s, has been expertly converted to offer a serene atmosphere while allowing guests to explore the area’s rich history and archaeological sites. The retreat’s unique, hands-free spa and stargazing opportunities make it an ideal destination for those looking to relax and unwind.

Rates from Dhs3,499 about $950 USD a night. Tel: (0)6 538 7857. sharjahcollection.ae

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Some projects that cross my desk are blatantly not as “green” as their investors want us to believe, yet have many redeeming qualities. Take Al Hamra Real Estate’s breakout mega-development, Falcon Island. It’s slated for construction in Ras-al-Khaimah, the emirate north of Dubai, and it’s going gangbusters with solar energy.

Picked to work on this most bespoke island development, international architecture studio A++ is going all out to make sure it keeps pace with some of the most rigorous environmental standards. Relatively speaking, of course, given the multimillion dollar price tag.

Falcon Island will comprise 150 luxurious villas and 11 mansions, which will be equipped with state-of-the-art energy systems – both generating systems and smart systems that maximize energy efficiency. And we expect they’ll be extravagantly decked out inside as well, given this statement on the press release.

“Through exclusive partnerships with interior design group, Luxury Living, and home furnishing brands Bentley Home, Fendi Casa, and Kenzo Maison, each of the villas will combine sustainable technologies with quality craftsmanship.”

It is unabashedly over the top, yet it has a green conscience. Which might be more like a sense of survival, because anyone who is paying attention knows that going off grid is the way of the future. Not only will the bridge entering the island have a solar roof, but the villas will also have rooftop panels.

Related: Massive solar factory opens in Qatar

This accumulated solar energy won’t only provide enough energy for lighting and electricity, but it will also be used to power an on-site desalination plant, street lights, and possibly a solar-powered cooling system.

“The whole complex will be characterized by the implementation of high sustainability systems , both for the production of electricity as well as for the production of thermal energy,” writes A++.

“The villas will be built using a partial pre-cast assembly, performed by dedicated companies in protected environment thereby ensuring effective control of the quality of the implementation, [and] the villas will be characterized by the use of sustainable materials and technical systems with low consumption and low maintenance.”

Which is to say, A++ appears to be super committed to making this an awesome testing ground for advanced technology, which is a great idea.

Though we really aren’t comfortable with the notion that only a privileged group, a group that can afford more than USD 3 million for a waterfront mansion, can have access to this kind of self-sufficiency, we don’t mind using them as guinea pigs for some new ideas.

And then hopefully in time the technology will become more scalable for a wider audience.

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We were really troubled by this latest tip: hundreds of dead cormorants were found dead on a beach, about an hour from Dubai, according to a local photographer. A byproduct of fishermen’s nets? See the exclusive photos.

The killing field was caught on digital film by Dubai resident Anup A.k (Candle Moon), who sent us these disturbing photos taken a few weeks ago. He took the pictures of the dead Socotra Cormorant in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah near a construction area by Al sham beach, in the United Arab Emirates near the Omani border.

Shocked by what he saw, Anup wrote to us at Green Prophet: “They are a threatened species and I hope we can do something to stop this or bring it to [people’s] attention.”

At first the cause of death wasn’t clear, he told us. Then he went back to the site and asked around: “I paid a visit to the site again and got a chance to talk to one of the fishermen living there and apparently they are trapped in fishing nets and disposed of at the beach by fishermen,” he tells Green Prophet.

The Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis) is a known threatened species of cormorant found in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula. It is also called the Socotran Cormorant or the Socotra Shag and some may migrate as far as the Red Sea.

This is just one story among the countless sad tales we are hearing about birds in the Middle East and Near East region: Songbirds are being pickled and eaten in Cyprus (for a song); storks are considered as good as spies in Egypt; they are then caught and consumed. In Egypt migratory birds like the Golden Oriole are hunted down for the potency of “natural Viagra” they induce in those who eat them.

Please help Green Prophet report these environmental atrocities to international media. Send us your images, stories and tips so we can help make Middle East rulers, governments, cities and individuals accountable for their actions. Send to contact@greenprophet.com

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