Abd al Kuri
Abd al Kuri is a rocky island in the Guardafui Channel. As a part of the Socotra Archipelago Governorate of Yemen, it lies about 65 miles southwest of the main island of Socotra. Its terrain primarily consists of granite and diorite covered with limestone.
Geography
The terrain of Abd al-Kuri is semi-arid, with little vegetation; annual monsoons, originating from the Indian Subcontinent, deliver vital precipitation each year. Two ranges of large hills, separating near the island's centre, run nearly the entire east-west length of the island. The northern coast consists mostly of sandy beaches with a few rocky outcrops and cliffs, while the southern coast consists of high, steep cliffs. The island's highest point, Mount Ṣāliḥ, reaches an altitude of over. The total area of Abd al-Kuri is 133 km2. Most of its inhabitants subsist on fishing. Kilmia is the main village.Flora and fauna
Abd al-Kuri has a number of endemic plant species, including the subshrub species Ruellia kuriensis and Convolvulus kossmatii.The island is home to an endemic bird, the Abd al-Kuri sparrow, which has an estimated population of fewer than 1,000 individuals. The island has been recognised as an Important Bird Area, by BirdLife International, for the presence of the endemic sparrow as well as for breeding colonies of the red-billed tropicbird, sooty gull and Persian shearwater.
Two species of lizards native to Abd al-Kuri, the Socotran wall lizard and the Abd al-Kuri rock gecko, are named after the island. Additional reptiles present include the Abd al-Kuri skink, the sharpnose leaf-toed gecko and the Socotra leaf-toed gecko.
History
1800s
Thomas Fellowes was sent on HMS Briton in 1872 to Abd al Kuri, alongside Socotra, by British authorities to see if it would be a suitable place to settle liberated slaves. Fellowes decided against it, citing the poor living conditions on both islands.2020s
In June 2020, the island as part of the Socotra Archipelago was taken control and administered by the Southern Transitional Council during the events surrounding the 2014 Yemeni civil war.Work to construct an airfield on the island was started in 2021.
In June 2022, the pro-Houthi Yemen Press Agency reported on the alleged expulsion and forced evictions at gunpoint of residents from their villages on the island of Abd Al Kuri in the Socotra archipelago claiming that a military base hosting Israeli and Emirati forces was constructed.
In March 2024, the airfield appeared on satellite imagery of the island with an array of stones that can be seen from a satellite stating "I love UAE." The UAE replied to an Associated Press inquiry about the imagery that the presence of UAE on Socotra is based on humanitarian grounds and is performed in cooperation with Yemeni and local authorities. On 17 January 2025, the airport was seen to be nearly completed after analysis of satellite photos was performed by the Associated Press.