The Six: Nature reserves across the Middle East to explore this winter season

The Ras Mohamed Nature Reserve in Egypt. (Shutterstock)

DUBAI: The Middle East is home to some breathtaking displays of natural beauty in its many parks and reserves.
Al-Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve
The Lebanese reserve is home to three cedar forests, with some of the trees standing at an estimated 2,000 years old. The area is also famous for the conservation of the Lebanese jungle cat.
Dana Biosphere Reserve
This Jordanian conservation area is made up of a system of mountains and wadis and is home to rare and threatened species, including the Syrian wolf.
Ras Al-Jinz Turtle Reserve
This nesting ground of the endangered green turtle, the chelonia mydas, is found on the coast of Oman.
Ras Al-Khor Wildlife Sanctuary
The Dubai-based wetland sanctuary serves as a breeding ground for crustaceans, mammals and fish, with hordes of flamingos stealing the show in the winter.
Ras Mohamed Nature Reserve
This Egyptian national park extends from the coral reefs of the Red Sea to the desert of the Sinai.
Wadi Hanifa
Once a waste disposal site, Wadi Hanifa is now a beautiful valley in Riyadh. Known in the pre-Islamic era as Wadi Al-Irdh, it was renamed Wadi Hanifa after the Bani Hanifa tribe that populated the area.