Saadiyat Beach bristles with native wildlife. It is home to nesting grounds of Hawksbill Turtle, who return to the beach every year for the nesting season. Their fragile hatching sites are protected and strict environmental measures have been taken to ensure that the golf course and hotels are set back from the dunes. Dolphins are also regularly spotted in the aqua waters offshore.

Bespoke green building design guidelines have been developed for TDIC and issued to developers for both resort hotels and low rise villas. These will ensure that key environmental and sustainability considerations are incorporated within the designs and that they meet international standards.

Turtles

A batch of approximately 350 Hawksbill turtles recently hatched safely on Saadiyat. Newborn turtles instinctively head for the sea the moment they emerge and because bright light disorients them, we ensure there will be minimal light visible from the beach where the sea turtles nest.

The Hawksbill turtles live in the coastal shallows off the shore of Saadiyat Island. Named after its conspicuous beaked snout, the Hawksbill lives in warm waters and feeds off sponges and mollusks and rarely strays from shallows. Visitors will be able to see the turtles in their natural habitat while snorkeling or diving off Saadiyat Beach.

During the nesting season, the beach will be patrolled by people trained to collect data and monitor the development of the turtles. The turtles will be monitored continuously during the island´s construction in a joint programme by the Tourism Development and Investment Company and the Environmental Agency in Abu Dhabi.

Saadiyat  adheres to strict construction guidelines to ensure the preservation of the island´s local colony of endangered Hawksbill turtles, and development is restricted to a distance of 60 meters of dune lines to protect the breeding grounds.