Approximately 150 islands, located in three geographical locations, are reported from the Arabian Gulf which is about 10-12% of the total islands in Saudi Arabia. Majority of these islands are seen submerged under water for most of the year. Among the 150 or so islands, nearly 30 of them have popular names while others are insignificant due to their size or non-sandy surface. Some of the popular islands, such as Tarut, Abu Ali, Batinah etc. are now connected to the main-land, either by a bridge or through land fill. Among these islands, only a few of them, such as Abu Ali, Batinah, Janna and Taut are inhabited while others are used by migratory or native birds as their nesting places or serve as military base. All islands are 3 meters or less in height from sea level except Janna where some areas of this island are several meters high. These islands are surrounded by shallow coral reefs. Al Arabia is the farthest island from the mainland, about 50 nautical miles from the coast. As far as the size of the islands are concerned, Abu Ali is the largest with an area of 59 sq. km followed by Al-Batina (34 sq. km), Tarout (20 sq. km and Al-Zakhnuniyah (12 sq. km). Vegetation comprised mostly of halophytes such as Halocnemum strobilaceum, Suaeda monoica, Suaeda vermiculata, Zygophyllum hamiense var. qatarense, etc. Plants along the coastal fringes are generally dwarf, reach a meter or less towards the interiors. Tree species are virtually nil, except for a few cultivated species (such as Tamarix aphylla or the exotic species, Conocarpus erectus) in Tarut, Batinah, Abu Ali and Janna island. Islands with a significant number of wild plants are as shown below: (The species reported from each of these islands are the results of a collection from one season and therefore consider it as provisional)