Al Aaliya Island

Al Aaliya Island جزيرة العالية‎ Jazīrat ‘Alya
Al Aaliya Island
Coordinates: 25°24′23″N 51°33′56″E[1]
Country	Qatar
Municipality	Al Daayen
Zone	Zone 69

Al Aaliya Island (Arabic: جزيرة العالية‎, romanized: Jazīrat ‘Alya) is an island located off the coast of the municipality of Al Daayen in Qatar, north of The Pearl.[1]

Etymology

In Arabic, the island's name translates to "upper" or "top", referring to its location to the north of Al Safliya Island.[2]

Description

It is a small, low-lying island, of a brown colour, with a little peak at its east end, lying 3½ miles north of Al Safliya Island; it is visible 6 or 7 miles.[3] Between these two islands is the artificial island of The Pearl, which was built in the late 2000s.[4] In the past its eastern peak was useful as a mark entering the Al Bidda harbour.[3]

Environment

Bird house on Al Aaliya Island

The surface of the island is loose, weathered limestone rock with scattered Limonium and Zygophyllum bushes. A 2 km sandspit extends southward from the island at low tide. There are broad intertidal flats to the south and east, and coral reefs in the adjacent waters. The island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports breeding colonies of Socotra cormorants and white-cheeked terns.[5]

See also

• List of islands of Qatar

References

1. "Jazīrat 'Alya: Qatar". geographic.org. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
2. "الأسماء الجغرافية لأماكن دولة قطر" (in Arabic). Qatar Historical Encyclopedia. 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
3. The Persian Gulf pilot: comprising the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Omán; and Makran coast. Great Britain: Hydrographic Dept. 1890. p. 123. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
4. "District map". The Centre for Geographic Information Systems of Qatar. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
5. "Al-Aliyah island". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-09.