We visit one of UAE's private islands today - Sir Bani Yas. In 1971 Sheikh Zayed became the first president of the United Arab Emirates, and chose this island as a retreat. In 1977, he started developing it as a wildlife preserve in his "Greening of the Desert" program to provide a haven for many of Arabia's endangered wildlife species. Several millions trees were planted and numerous animals species introduced to the island, including gazelle, oryx, llama, hyrax, giraffe, and ostrich. However, before we can disembark, the crew takes off grills, meats, salads, and drinks to set up a barbeque and bar on the beach! Our first activity is a jeep-safari to see the local animals on the island.