Abd al Kuri is a barren, wind-scoured island that sits closer to the Horn of Africa than to Yemen, to which it belongs, one of the outlying members of the Socotra archipelago. The archipelago is a UNESCO natural site because it has an extraordinary number of plants, reptiles and birds found nowhere else, partly because the islands separated from the mainland millions of years ago. Abd al Kuri has its own endemic bird, the Abd al Kuri sparrow, and lizards and plants that evolved in isolation, and it is largely a limestone plateau with low scrub and dry watercourses. The village of Kilmia, on the coast, is a small fishing community.
The rock here is also interesting, with fossil-bearing limestone and cliffs that drop sharply to a turquoise sea. In the dry season the island looks almost without life, and then the monsoon brings a flicker of green. Seabirds, including the Socotra cormorant, nest on offshore rocks, and the surrounding waters hold turtles, dolphins and a lot of fish.
This is an island reached by sea or by rare flights, and the travel situation in Yemen has been unstable for years, with conflict on the mainland and restrictions on access to the archipelago. Anyone planning a visit needs to check official travel advice, secure permits, and expect that tourism is limited. The monsoon winds from June to September close the sea routes for months, and conditions are rough.
Kilmia has no formal services that a visitor should rely on, so everything, including fuel, food, water and medical supplies, has to be brought in. Local people live on fishing and some livestock, and hospitality is generous when it is offered, in the form of fish, rice, dates and strong sweet tea. If you ever do go, respect the fragile environment, take all rubbish away, avoid disturbing nesting birds, and ask locals before camping or photographing.