SOCOTRA, Yemen: With its lush landscape, distinctive trees, unique animals and turquoise waters home to dolphins, Yemen is hoping its Socotra archipelago will become a dream destination despite the country’s nightmarish conflict.
Lying in the Indian Ocean some 200 kilometers (120 miles) off the Yemeni coast, the four islands and two rocky islets are home to some 50,000 people and have remained relatively untouched by the war that has devastated the mainland.
While most of Yemen is embroiled in a conflict that erupted in 2014 between Houthi militia and the government — plus the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic — adventurous travelers are showing a growing interest in visiting Socotra.Many set off from the wealthy United Arab Emirates, which is close to the authorities that control the islands.
“Fortunately, Socotra has never been affected by the war dynamics of the Yemeni mainland,” local travel agency Welcome to Socotra told AFP.
“No tensions or fights have ever been reported, hence there is no reason for tourists to worry.”
Since flights resumed with a chartered Air Arabia aircraft once a week from Abu Dhabi, the agency has received “hundreds” of requests, it said.
Yemen, already the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula even before the war, has for years been trying to develop the archipelago into a hub for ecotourism.
But despite the reassuring words and the lure of the pure white beaches, Socotra hit the headlines in June 2020 when Yemen’s UAE-trained southern separatists seized it from the government.
The two sides have since established a power-sharing deal, substantially dialing down tensions in the south.
Socotra is located just 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Horn of Africa, and 1,000 kilometers from the southern city of Aden where Yemen’s government is based.
It is famed for its unique biodiversity: Nearly one-third of its 825 plants and 90 percent of its reptile species are considered unique to the island, according to the UN’s cultural agency UNESCO.
The unique and spectacular vegetation, such as the Dragon’s Blood Tree with its distinctive umbrella-shaped canopy and red sap, has earned it a listing as a World Heritage Site.
“Socotra is of particular importance to the Horn of Africa’s biodiversity hotspot,” UNESCO says on its website.
“As one of the most biodiversity rich and distinct islands in the world, (it) has been termed the ‘Galapagos of the Indian Ocean’.”
Yemen’s Socotra archipelago awaits ecotourists
https://arab.news/6vmy7
Yemen’s Socotra archipelago awaits ecotourists
- Socotra is located just 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Horn of Africa, and 1,000 kilometers from the southern city of Aden where Yemen’s government is based
Millie Bobby Brown spotted in new advert for Yas Island in Abu Dhabi
DUBAI: British actress Millie Bobby Brown is starring in a new advert for entertainment destination Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
With a nod to “Stranger Things,” Brown is seen buckling into Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest rollercoaster alongside her husband Jake Bongiovi.
Moments before launch, she asks him about the speed, and when he replies “240 km an hour,” she makes a quick exit. The advert continues with lights flickering and Brown and other characters glitching with effects reminiscent of the hit Netflix series.
Created by the Duffer Brothers, “Stranger Things” debuted in 2016 and quickly became one of Netflix’s most popular series, with its fourth season amassing more than 140.7 million views globally.
The series has garnered over 70 awards worldwide, including Emmys and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
Brown was announced as a brand ambassador for Yas Island in November.
The Netflix show’s final season five is being released in stages. The first four episodes streamed on Nov. 26, and will be followed by three on Dec. 25, and the finale on New Year’s Eve.
In her first promotional clip for Yas Island, she is seen back in the Byers’ living room, made famous on the show, framed by the glow of the iconic alphabet wall that is a key element of the “Stranger Things” storyline.
In the video, she jokes about taking a holiday after five seasons of the show as the lights begin to flicker, illuminating one by one until they spell out “YAS.”
Brown is the latest celebrity to take on a role with Yas Island, following Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Hart and Jason Momoa, who were all “Chief Island Officers.”
The actors starred in a series of amusing adverts for the entertainment destination, including Reynolds appearing to skydive over Abu Dhabi.
