a reflection of a turbulent history. the cities, the mosaic of different people and languages o e, ron's mountains reveal unparalleled beauty level. yeah. more. the scenery is magnificent, vertical, and warm in acquisition assumption. ah, a special look at a special country. iran from above. starts december 27th on d, w. ah, the path into the mountains is steep, stony, and spectacular, like the island itself. so cojo is regarded as one of the most beautiful islands in the world. i believe it's

a site that truly opens your hot water heater. mm. ah ah ah,

the slovak visitors are on their way to a cave. few tourists come here. the island is part of yemen, so it's not so surprising. but the civil war that has raged for years on the mainland is far away. the united arab emirates launched the 1st direct flights here in 2021. it's a 2 hour flight. so coach lies directly off the horn of africa, about 400 kilometers from the yemen. he mainland peter, our guide. he is having a travel agency and he's doing some podcast at all traveling. so he and he's from co worker talking about the contract. and when they prepare district, i decided that i really want to go because it's so strange destination. and because of the war in yemen, it's very that the chance that you will come here again later it's very, very low. or if the situation will be better and more tourist will come,

the country will definitely change. so to, to see that at this moment, it's really amazing. right? so culture is really far away from almost everything. while war is raging in yemen, the island is a peaceful haven, a safe place to go on vacation. caves are not something completely new for the slovak tourists. slovakia has many of them but the visit is are nevertheless deeply impressed. it's the biggest cave i've ever seen. it's really impressive. beautiful over style at nights and stalagmites honestly. very, very impressive. hawk a cave is 2.5 kilometers long. the many stalagmites and stalactites are not just

beautiful. they are of great scientific interest. they are an index for climate change. lewis alice hawkins. it's even better as on the pictures of the imagine before coming here. the drivers, the guides and the cooks are very happy that tourists have returned to the island. for many years. the coach was practically cut off from the rest of the world because of the war in yemen. when one of them, we're proud that tourists are coming here again, and that we have work men,

and we hope that more 2 groups will come a lot more of a surprisingly nature conservationist ahmed, a div agrees it is okay. he says, as long as the tourists camp outdoors that minimizes their ecological footprint, what he doesn't agree with are the holiday homes that the immorality is a building in the middle of protected areas. for example, here by the coast close to the capital had the boot. he sees this as fraudulent on 2 accounts that only a mini gemini law dictates that you cannot build within 300 meters of the coast. and foreigners are not permitted to buy land. and the buyer is from here originally said bill it, but he has american citizenship because he used his brother to get around that oil

and leave. and he now keith had that and that is just one example. ahmed. a dave says that the purchases old follow the same pattern. there is a lot of demand for real estate by the see here, an entire vacation complex is springing up. the faces of immorality rulers are depicted at the entrance. the real estate investors do not attempt to hide what they're doing. legal. i'm a leslie and don't visit the people who are building here. come from abroad. they are emerald days or so co trees with m. radi citizenship. leave it. there are also kuwaitis east. they buy via middleman nest said these people have all bought land

through local inhabitants, and that the hint, good luck that i don't think more than in scotland. the environmental activist is worried that the island is being bought out. he's particularly concerned by the growth of saudi arabia's influence in recent years. had the blue is the capital of the main island, psycho tra, and the rest of the archipelago. here you can see how the u. a and saudi arabia of vying for influence. fighting to become the dominant power with displays of generosity, the emirates pay the salaries of the municipal officials while saudi arabia builds one school after the other. all of them identical this power game is even more apparent on the coast outside had dba. on the right,

a yamini school funded by abu dhabi khalifa foundation and directly opposite on the left. saudi arabia has also built a new school at this words, i check point. there are 3 immorality flags, and only one jamini flag. the power relations a quite evidence in the foothills of the had g, a mountains which reach 1500 meters at their highest point amid a d bronze, a nursery. and that given here, the environmental activist tries to care for the islands natural heritage. his son and his is to help him that he died. but it's a herculean task. unique endemic species. plants that a native only here are endangered.

in this, in it. since the 19 ninety's, there's been a drop in rainfall. the climate here has changed. this should be the rainy season and that was september is over on october is drawing to a close shot, but no rain has come. you can reach out. actually, the official with the family don't receive any financial support for their endeavors and they are unlikely to get any in times of war. nature is not seen as a priority, save for his relatives. the conservationist is alone in his struggle to save the islands iconic. dragon's blood tree, and what liver would regulate the, this is the dragon's blood tree. and the circuitry language, what we call it, the tree of the blood of the 2 brothers on if you haven't missed that,

how and it said back here we have planted 7000 dragons blood trees. we had allison, so the saplings can be planted out in dick some regent and reproduce. the mac leaned violet, he did so ah, ah ah, ah ah ah ah ah

ah. so coaches fine, sandy beaches, have a caribbean flay the white sands are a magnet for tourists island to save. you haven't been to kellen caea you haven't seen. so co tra, for people here the sea with its plentiful fish stalks is the most important source of nutrition. the islands, 80000 inhabitants fish to meet their needs. international fish inflates, dont come here. not yet at least. i huh. with many fishing boats bear the inscription, the saudi development and reconstruction program for yemen. more proof of how the

rich neighboring states, a trying to win influence. fishing is closely bound up with local identity. instead of playing with toy cars, children here play with home may toy boats. ah, the fishes take turn, putting out to sea. 2 boats go out for 2 hours, and then they rotate the idea. every one should equally benefit from the seas. riches fishes, solomon and mohammed are going fishing with

half way to the fishing grounds. they come across maison salon. he has set out without his father. mohammed isn't surprised the boys known throughout the village with that. i like working of a c. i like catching fish. i live here. i live at the see with the boy is taking a big risk. the waters here are treacherous. so that wasn't all that was needed. one boat has already sunk here. some even died. we were able to save a bunch of them in a

solem on aids, just a few minutes to catch the 1st fish. there is still enough to go round, even if still the man now faces more competition or for a miss out with the saudis. have brought us books. anyone who didn't have a boat got one from them. another comes in. the immorality is how close to battle. they brought us electricity, water, actual gas, and gasoline. and anyone who are sick gets flown to the united arab emirates. well, i love them both, but especially the moratti's because they work with us most. i've got

a message thought of my life is changing on to co tra some people are worried about these new forms of dependency, but no one is willing to speak openly about it. for the last few days, the sea has been stormy, and the fishes were unable to put out to sea. within seconds, his catch is snapped up with an up, it's gone in the flesh. i wish that people take it out of my hands. we fish, they buy more than i know. i was a little bit far away from the beaches up in the mountains. you can find the coaches, iconic dragons, blood trees. oh, who?

the letter i here the tree stands in the middle of a nameless village. the houses are in good condition above them flies the flag of the united arab emirates with the village elder sod. mohammed is fine with that, we've only got to show that you called at the a moratti's build said them, it is. yeah, good. we sometimes for these houses, and we thank them to for the medical care. let's go, let's go long. you thank people who do good about the net. good the money to get the net good to was yet if you didn't know what would be an act of ingratitude to god, the most quoted in america in resume got along with

life has improved, says thought mohammed i can assure you now i know we used to live here with the sheep and the cows, i will cardona as we sat and slaughtered our animals here. you can get it so you know, you know, we did everything here. we do and now couldn't amelia, i'm with her neck. no wonder that the u. e. has won the hearts of the locals by donating these homes. i don't have the hut, ahmed idea is meeting friend and fellow activists mohammed l k bonnie, to her to seize a colleague far off, but he doesn't reach for a phone, mom i oh

boy. 2 2 2 2 2 2 yeah, yeah, i know that i got to read how yeah. yeah, but i am. yeah, i got i got the goats are very far away. they're on the other side of the valley where the goats are very, very far away. and i've heard nothing. let's have lunch and then go look, jenny, no, we don't have time. we're in a hurry. i can send my greetings mohammed l. okay, bonnie: cause he's 60 goats and 10 cows with particular sounds other heard is have their own specific calls. all the animals would get mixed up otherwise. oh, yeah. 00000000 yeah,

i am here on the plateau. there are practically no dragon's blood trees left anymore . it used to look quite different. oh, i did wanna move with our grandfathers told us that there was an entire forest of dragon's blood trees here, but that has gone. they have died off. now there's just one tree here. the other there, there are just a few dotted about therein. danger of extinction. i was talking out. glad unless the la la la la la la la or the mad nobody. scientists have told us that it's due to climate change. i have a minute here. i'm at the other le, let them in mo cobra. they're always used to be rein here, visa man, a la and there were no goat was lombard with wasa. membership and i'm alamba rain at all times of the year of them, but ah, ah, the goats are

a problem in psycho tra they eat the young, dragon's blood trees causing them to die off. i only the older ones survive because their leaves are beyond the goats reach. people here say the trees can live for a 1000 years. in april or may, the harvest starts. the red resin from the trunks of the dragon's blood tree is used to produce cosmetics. the resin is used in nail polish and lipstick. o reforestation is urgently needed. the dragon's blood tree is in danger of going extinct activist amanda dave could use help above all money to help protect the trees. but he doesn't expect that from the u. i. e l l merely martine m. moratti's aren't up on this subject line as well to sleep. we need specialist so business

with business people aren't like scientists and emerald tce are business people business? oh, i think it. mohammed elk ebony knows that he and his gods are part of the problem. that's why the herder is trying to grow. dragon's blood trees with his son is my ill. lou, her the idea that demo on the go are like chain smokers, latin america. 7 the madman out there addicted to the tree, a killer shirad. i'm mom and he had the ama highly dam are gave. we built a wall to keep them out now, but they just jump on to it and come inside and eat the plant. oh gosh, i got them on what got to get out of the door like i've done without good in the future is may, you won't be tending the trees any more. he has received a stipend from the u. e. he's going to study computer science in the egyptian city

of alexandria. his view of the emirates involvement here is widely shared because he had the kind of government, fortunately before the muradi came here. so katra was a forgotten island. i get, i get 5 years have passed and we're now in a quite different position at glen or we can study abroad and we couldn't before last one. and now we have electricity. things are developing. there are roads and hospitals show florida fiduciary fee. yeah. had a give, it gives you 2 feet and me fi. total court fees are so huffy. mr. ashby, yes ah ah, for turnover. selim new is the expert on the islands medicinal plants. he is also

worried about the endangered species in global comparison, so kosher it is recognized as being particularly rich in bio diversity. also in terms of medicinal plants, many are endemic to the archipelago. like you phobia are buskey law. for example, he is harvesting its valuable sap to create a medicine for digestive problems. then the sick lanai would cut the arteries of the tree and create a problem voice, but a stone only creates a tiny wound that enables me to treat the tree sparingly for the sake of myself and others. and to protect nature will above. yeah,

this is another popular plant. the healer says that it can even help couples to have children and lives at the alley global middle again, when you get this planned remedies in fertility in men and women, jonathan obama and he said, when men don't have enough sperm or their sperm are too weak, and when women have a problem with her ovaries or hormones, this plant is very effective at the she gets her dea, lemme a saudi m r. radi company offered me 63 percent of the profits, see what the rest for them. talk about that, i think. but they wanted the hatton right to give out the telephone. i'm and i turned them down to chef the stella here, one out of up the then a pharmaceutical company from the gulf clearly has the coach or in its sides.

a activist i'm in a deep is accompanying his son aysa to a soccer match in the islands youth league. the 17 year old is the coach of the tigers. i bought with the health. well, i think and i love both players and audience are male girls and women are not welcome society here is conservative. the pitch is typical for the island, stony and dusty cow. for many boys, he is sulky, is all they have in terms of free time or entertainment. so cobra is still disconnected from the world at lodge. she back in the internet here isn't good what i need, it looks like in other countries. so people here are still just as addicted as

people abroad album would mean elena deborah, the internet when it is working is so bad that they can't even watch a soccer match on youtube. it's no wonder that even a youth league game is a highlight of the week with that, i love and, and visit any of that in the to the island doesn't have some things. will. those things are basically like internet and the telephone network, the missouri, there are places that don't have any internet. it'll ask them with a telephone, not out in the gallery with another american, missouri. it's different than the capital than the neighboring villages and remote places. that's why the t i just play sports, but they allow, wow, that again, you can only find internet the capital. here we don't have any sort of a place portal hang out together and have again a very allah again to vienna gives that to ship via saudi arabia. and the united

arab emirates are investing in the island, but not in its internet infrastructure. it is almost impossible for young people to get access to information or to communicate via social media. is that an oversight on the part of the gulf states or intentional? ahmed a div believes the gulf states are acting out of strategic interests. the activist has arranged to meet up with his son aysa to aid on the beach. he says, abu dhabi and riyadh both want to consolidate their influence in the waters off east africa. he's under no illusions. he knows he must pursue his projects himself . yet he sees no alternative to the current situation. past and present governments in yemen have done almost nothing in comparison with the n m. as in alan, them up. we are isolated from the rest of the world. they'll finish the honey,

but thank god, the way he came to sir katra and 2016. it's feasible that we didn't have a government, missouri and, and god sent us the emerald east lena. medical alert of all they built a hospital and helped people here with my son was sick when t something was wrong with his heart. he couldn't get up in the morning either. so they took him to the emory and cured him to come monday. thank god. oh, kind for somebody, make omen hanging. if the moratti's hadn't come here in one or 2, we would have been worse off than the somalis. for example, let us get the limit. no one can deny that things are better now. so again, imagine go to the faith above all, it's quiet here, says the environmentalist, the war is far away and that's what matters most with

ah, sharing the secrets of traditional construction with a new generation. ah, what is impossible in big cities can be realized in rural areas. more and more families are opting for the traditional techniques of sustainable construction india. in 30 minutes on d w. oh .

news . this is d w. a news coming to live from berlin. germany becomes the latest european country to tighten corona virus restrictions, transfer all of shoulder analysis, new measures that will come into effect after christmas. they include a limit on social gatherings, there to be no large scale new years.