Mountain & Wadi Wildlife of the UAE and Lebanon

In the United Arab Emirates, mountain wildlife is shaped by heat, aridity and scarcity. The rugged Hajar Mountains rise sharply from the surrounding desert, cut by dry wadis, exposed cliffs, boulder fields and isolated pools of water. Despite their harsh appearance, these mountains support some of the UAE’s most remarkable and elusive wildlife. The Arabian Tahr survives among steep rocky slopes, while the Caracal and Blanford’s Fox move quietly through remote wadis and mountainous terrain. The mountains were also historically home to the Arabian Leopard, one of Arabia’s most iconic predators, although it is now considered extinct in the wild in the UAE. Reptiles, geckos, vipers, mountain birds and amphibians add another layer of diversity to an ecosystem where survival depends on finding shelter, water and opportunity in an unforgiving landscape.

In Lebanon, the mountain environment presents a striking contrast. Cooler temperatures, greater rainfall and strong seasonal changes create rocky slopes, deep valleys, forests, Mediterranean scrub and agricultural terraces, while the highest elevations can remain covered by snow during winter. These richer and more varied habitats support an impressive community of wildlife, including elusive mammals such as the Striped Hyena, Indian Crested Porcupine, foxes and other species that move through forests, valleys and rocky mountain terrain. Birds, reptiles and amphibians occupy habitats ranging from dense woodland to exposed high-altitude slopes. Although the mountains of Lebanon and the UAE are both rugged landscapes shaped by elevation and difficult terrain, they represent two very different ecological worlds: the UAE mountains are defined largely by heat, exposed rock and scarcity, while Lebanon’s mountains are shaped by rainfall, vegetation and dramatic seasonal change.