Sir Abu Nu'air, Persian Gulf island, satellite image. This island is part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and has an area of around 10 square kilometres. It is a salt dome island, formed by underground salt deposits raising the overlying rock 81 metres above sea level. Once uninhabited, the island, which is renowned for its natural beauty, is now being developed as an environmentally friendly tourist attraction. The island is a nesting place for green turtles, contains archaeological sites dating back 3,500 years, and is of strategic importance in the Persian Gulf, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Image obtained by a Landsat satellite.