Al Futaisi
Island in the United Arab Emirates
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Al Futaisi (Arabic: الفطيسي) is an island about 8-kilometre (5.0-mile) southwest of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates with a size of approximately 50-square-kilometre (12,000-acre).[1]
Native name: جزيرة الفطيسي | |
|---|---|
  Location within United Arab Emirates | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Abu Dhabi Central Capital District |
| Coordinates | 24°21′14″N 54°19′14″E |
| Administration | |
| Emirate | Abu Dhabi |
The largest part of the island, which is 10-kilometre (6.2-mile) long and 5-kilometre (3.1-mile) wide, is a wildlife sanctuary. There is a tourist ecotourism resort on the island.[1] Animals such as Dugong, Osprey, lizards (Uromastyx) and Gazelles exist on the island.[2]
History
In 2002, archaeologists discovered 22 ancient water catchments on the island. The catchements showed a survival technique used in the region previously to collect water. A total of 38 archaeological sites have been discovered on Futaisi Island.[3]
Transportation
Futaisi is not connected to the mainland by a bridge and is primarily accessed via its boat dock.[1] The island also contains the remains of Futaysi Airport, a planned private airfield that was never completed and consists only of an abandoned sand runway.