Atlantis Dubai surpasses half a million USD in conservation funding through guest contributions  

UAE – Atlantis Dubai has reinforced its conservation leadership after releasing 13 marine animals into the Arabian Gulf and surpassing US$500,000 in funding for environmental initiatives, marking a major milestone in its long-running sustainability programme. 

In collaboration with the Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority, the destination released five Honeycomb Stingrays and eight Arabian Carpet sharks at the Jebel Ali Wildlife Sanctuary on February 12, 2026.  

The effort forms part of Atlantis Dubai’s broader conservation strategy to rebuild threatened marine populations and safeguard biodiversity in regional waters. 

The release also served as an educational platform, with 25 local school pupils participating in the experience and joining a beach clean-up exercise. The initiative aims to foster environmental awareness among young people while strengthening community involvement in marine protection. 

“Marine environment is one of our most valuable natural resources that we strive to conserve for future generations,” said Ahmed Mohammed bin Thani, Director General of the Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority 

Atlantis Dubai’s breeding programme has had a measurable impact. Since its launch in 2019, the resort has successfully released 73 Arabian Carpet sharks and 17 Honeycomb Stingrays into the wild. 

Kelly Timmins, Executive Director of Sustainability and Marine Animal Operations, Atlantis Dubai, said the initiative comes at a critical time, noting that more than one-third of shark and ray species face extinction.  

“Through initiatives like this release, we are actively supporting local marine populations while helping to educate future generations about the role they can play in protecting our oceans,” she said. 

Atlantis Dubai’s conservation credentials have continued to strengthen, with the destination earning Earthcheck certification, Gold Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamps from the Department of Economy and Tourism, and the VERIFIED™ Responsible Hospitality badge from Forbes Travel Guide in 2025.  

The same year, the resort reopened its redeveloped aquarium, now home to 65,000 marine animals. 

A key driver behind its conservation funding is a guest participation model, where Atlantis Dubai contributes US$1 for every marine animal experience booked. Since June 2021, this initiative has generated over US$500,000 to support sustainability and ocean protection projects, highlighting how tourism-driven funding is helping scale conservation impact. 

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