Abu Dhabi, 12 Aug. 2004 (WAM) -- In the Arabian Gulf, 200 kilometreswest of Abu Dhabi city, Delma Island does not look like a desert strip.

Rather, it is as if a giant farm has been torn out of a fertile Europeancountry and transferred to Abu Dhabi.

Visitors to the island are surprised to see cabbage, cauliflower,onion, cucumber, tomato, melon, pepper, parsley, banana and mango growing here.

They are even more surprised to see such trees that are alien to thearea as apple, pear, strawberry, fig, almond, grape, orange, lemon, olive,kiwi and cedar.

According to a report in Gulf News, the island has many of thesetrees and has just launched a project to introduce more plants as partof an ongoing expansion programme financed by President His Highness Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to achieve agricultural self-sufficiencyon the island and other parts of the UAE and export the surplus.

The latest project for the 2004-2005 season covers the constructionof 140 new farms producing scores of products, most of which are foreignto the desert and grow only in cold climates. Inhabitants of the islandare surprised at the transformation of a desert strip that was a barrenwasteland only 20 years ago into a home for crops that are not grown evenin the most fertile countries.

"I am not saying it is like a miracle ? I am saying it is a real miracle,"said Abdullah Al Qubaisi, a Delma resident. "Where can you find all thesetypes of fruit and vegetable in a single, small arid place?" According to the municipality, the latest two-year project includesplanting thousands of vegetable and fruit trees, some of them have beenbrought to the island for the first time.

The island has about 500 lemon trees and the project will increase theseto 1,100. About 470 orange trees will also be planted, along with theexisting 575 trees, while 168 pomegranate saplings will be added to theexisting 205.

There will also be about 100 new fig trees, 30 olive trees, 70 mango trees,125 pear trees and 20 banana trees.

"Three coffee plants and five apple trees will be introduced on a trialbasis while at least 500 cedar trees will be planted," the municipalitysaid.

"There are very encouraging results regarding the planting of new fruittrees and vegetables, including Omani garlic, almonds, strawberry, gooseberry,apple, pear and eggplant ? there are also plans to largely expand themelon and watermelon areas." more