Saudi Arabia’s wildlife sanctuaries help preserve a wealth of biodiversity

As the threat to wildlife grows worldwide, Saudi Arabia’s efforts to preserve its rich biodiversity offer a beacon of hope. (AFP)
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Updated 03 September 2022
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Saudi Arabia’s wildlife sanctuaries help preserve a wealth of biodiversity

  • The effort dates back to 1978, when Saudi authorities set aside 82,700 square kilometer area to protect natural habitats
  • In 1986, the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development was set up to oversee conservation initiatives

JEDDAH: Relentless economic development, accompanied by agricultural and industrial expansion, the extraction of minerals and fossil fuels, and improved health and nutrition, has led to a global population explosion.

This in turn has resulted in the encroachment of urban areas such as cities and towns into previously uninhabited lands and animal habitats.

While living standards have risen over the centuries, the upward trajectory of unsustainable development has placed a heavy burden on the world’s ecosystems, with carbon emissions, deforestation and the overexploitation of land and fisheries causing untold harm to plant and animal life.

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature’s biannual Living Planet Report 2020, about a million animal species face the threat of extinction in the coming decades, with potentially catastrophic consequences for pollinators and our food systems.

But as the efforts of Saudi Arabia show, the picture is not uniformly bleak. From the rugged mountains of the Hijaz and the lush green oases of the east to the wide valleys and vast desert plains that make up 30 percent of the country’s land, the diverse landscape is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna.

To preserve this wealth of biodiversity, authorities in the Kingdom have devoted considerable resources to conservation efforts, including funding for projects designed to protect threatened species and expand nature reserves, preventing further human encroachment into vulnerable habitats.




Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman watches gazelle foals run as he attends the launch of projects for a nature reserve at AlUla. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia spans the majority of the Arabian Peninsula but is among the world’s most sparsely populated countries, allowing it to set aside vast tracts of land as protected wildlife preserves, safe from urban, agricultural or industrial expansion.

These efforts date back to 1978, when Saudi authorities set aside an initial 82,700 square kilometer area to protect natural habitats. In 1986, the Kingdom established the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development to oversee conservation initiatives.

One of the first species-specific programs it launched was a captive-breeding project for Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii, better known as the houbara bustard, the population of which had dwindled as a result of overhunting and changes in land use.

Poaching, falconry, unregulated hunting, overfishing, overgrazing and habitat loss all contributed to the bird being classified as “vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s list of endangered species.

Several long-term breeding projects were initiated to build a self-sustaining population of houbara within a network of managed sites and prevent local extinction. The Prince Saud Al-Faisal Center for Wildlife Research succeeded in hatching its first houbara egg in 1989.

Two years later, the center had bred sufficient numbers for them to be released in the Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area. In the first two years of the project, the center bred more than 2,000 houbaras for release into the wild.




Farasan Island nature reserve. (Supplied/SPA)

Building on monumental work of the center, the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve Development Authority announced in August this year that it had launched its own houbara breeding center to help replenish local populations.

As part of its ecological protection and restoration efforts, Saudi Arabia has mobilized environmentalists, scientists and special task forces to collaborate with international bodies, including the IUCN, and develop plans for its nature reserves.

Sanctuaries have been created to protect the region’s endangered species. Many of them combine conservation work with the development of ecotourism and public recreational spaces.

Currently the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development manages 15 protected areas, and proposals to grant protected status to 20 more reserves are under review.

An additional 40 areas are managed by other entities, including the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, neighboring countries, and the royal commissions for Jubail, Yanbu and AlUla, among others.

The Prince Saud Al-Faisal Center for Wildlife Research in Taif, the Prince Mohammed Al-Sudairy Center for the Breeding of Reem Gazelles in Al-Qassim, and the Arabian Leopard Sharaan Nature Reserve in AlUla are among the existing reserves in the Kingdom that have helped endangered species to flourish.




From the rugged mountains of the Hijaz and the lush green oases of the east to the wide valleys and vast desert plains that make up 30 percent of the country’s land, the diverse landscape is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. (AFP)

Covering an area of 130,700 square kilometers, the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve, the Kingdom’s largest reserve, is home to about 277 native vertebrate species of bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian.

Its three primary conservation areas — Khunfah, Tubaiq and Harrat Al-Harra — provide sanctuary for rhim gazelle, Arabian wolf, Arabian oryx, sand fox, Nubian ibex, Arabian spiny-tailed lizard and various migratory bird species, including houbara, golden eagle and the Eurasian stone-curlew.

“Tremendous efforts are needed to protect and conserve species of conservation concern, mainly to ensure that these species are well protected against both natural and human-induced threats,” a spokesperson for the KSRNR told Arab News.

“These efforts include, but are not limited to, several protection and conservation programs of habitat restoration, reintroduction, monitoring, protection and awareness programs. The current reintroduction programs mainly include flagship and threatened species such as Arabian oryx, Nubian ibex, Arabian sand gazelle, Arabian gazelle and Asian houbara.

“Preliminary results of such programs and efforts are promising, such as recording signs of acclimatization of individuals and the success of having newborn individuals in the wild of the reintroduced species, including the first oryx to be born in the wild in nine decades.

“Another success story … within KSRNR (is the) breeding population of the griffon vulture, which is considered one of the largest resident breeding populations of the species in the Middle East.”




Houbara bustards are being released into the wild. (Supplied)

Despite recent efforts by governments and agencies throughout the world to conserve ecosystems, the pace of wildlife and habitat loss is staggering.

“The main obstacles facing the animals are habitat degradation due to overgrazing of local herds of livestock, mainly camels, as well as hunting,” the KSRNR spokesperson said.

“The Royal Reserve’s specialized team is tackling these issues of deteriorating habitat by conducting restoration programs, as well as using advanced methods and technology for monitoring and protecting animals.”

Marine habitats in particular are suffering as a result of pollution, acidification and rising temperatures. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, for example, has lost more than half of its corals as a result of rising ocean temperatures in recent years.

Meanwhile, marine life is disappearing rapidly around the world, with whales, dolphins, dugongs, sea turtles and many species of fish disappearing at twice the rate of species on land.

The Farasan Islands, an archipelago off the southwestern coast of Saudi Arabia, is feted for its unique biodiversity. It is home to more than 230 species of fish, a variety of coral reefs, and several endangered marine animals, including dugongs.




The Arabian oryx returns to the wild after years of uncontrolled hunting. (Supplied)

Since 1996, the area has been a protected nature reserve covering 5,400 square km and it was recently added to UNESCO’s World Network of Island and Coastal Biosphere Reserves.

It is a sanctuary for the Kingdom’s largest colony of edmi gazelles, which are endemic to the region, as well as white-tailed mongoose and several species of rodent.

The area is also an important corridor for migratory birds, with about 165 species passing through it. It also has flamingos, Eurasian spoonbills, the largest concentration of pink-backed pelicans on the Red Sea, and the largest concentration of ospreys in the Middle East.

Its remoteness has, to some degree, helped preserve the area and its animal inhabitants. However, with new coastal developments, passing ships and warming waters, certain land and marine species are now in decline, inspiring the efforts to preserve and restore marine ecosystems.

Ten billion mangrove trees will be planted across Saudi Arabia as part of the Saudi Green Initiative, which was launched last year to tackle climate change, reduce carbon emissions and improve the environment.




Millions of mangrove trees will be planted to help marine habitats. (Shutterstock)

Nature reserves are contributing to the Kingdom’s afforestation initiative. KSRNR is working to recover 90 percent of degraded habitats by 2040, with ambitions to plant 70 million native wild species seedlings.

“KSRNR is planting 1 million native plant seedlings in 2022,” the spokesperson said. “This plantation target will be doubled during the year 2023 to reach 2 million seedlings planted.

“This will be the contribution of KSRNR to SGI targets relative to its land area. In 2030, we will aim for 30 million seedlings, and in 2040 we will aim for 70 million.”

Despite these sterling efforts, and the work of conservationists elsewhere, experts warn that more needs to be done, both in the region and globally, if more of the breathtaking variety of animal species with which we share our planet are to avoid extinction.

Rewilding Arabia
Return of the leopard is at the heart of plans to conserve and regenerate Saudi Arabia’s landscapes and wildlife

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Saudi robotics deal supports STEM learning

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Saudi robotics deal supports STEM learning

  • The program encourages students to explore robotics, develop skills, and participate in global competitions

RIYADH: The Saudi Federation for Robotics and RC Sports partnered with VEX Robotics and the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in the Kingdom.

The initiative aims to introduce advanced robotics technologies into classrooms and competitions, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

It supports Saudi students by providing educational tools aligned with Vision 2030’s focus on technology and youth development.

The program encourages students to explore robotics, develop skills, and participate in global competitions, the SPA reported.

Abdullah Alsunaydi, CEO of the Saudi federation, said: “This partnership supports our mission to build a knowledge-based society and create opportunities for youth.”

Tony Norman, CEO of VEX Robotics, said that the partnership aims to equip the next generation with tools to succeed in a changing world.

VEX Robotics offers a hands-on educational program called VEX Continuum, for students from elementary to university levels.

The REC Foundation organizes robotics competitions that encourage students to apply learning, solve problems, and collaborate.

The partnership will provide teacher training and resources, organizing competitions to expand access to robotics education and inspire interest in STEM careers.


Riyadh hosts warehousing, logistics expo

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Riyadh hosts warehousing, logistics expo

RIYADH: Rumaih Al-Rumaih, Saudi Arabia’s vice minister of transport and logistic services, inaugurated the second Saudi Warehousing and Logistics Expo at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center.

Al-Rumaih said that the Kingdom is experiencing a leap in the logistics sector, driven by an ambitious vision and strong leadership support to enhance its position as a global logistics hub.

He said that the expo came at a pivotal time, helping it keep pace with this critical phase of industrial and logistics development, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The exhibition featured more than 40 speakers from leading government entities. Sessions highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in developing supply chains, focusing on automation, fleet management, and modern logistics services.

The three-day expo, from May 27-29, is a leading platform bringing together public and private sector entities in the industry under one roof.

It offers an ideal opportunity to explore the latest solutions, including handling and storage equipment, automated systems, robotics, packaging, control and weighing systems, and security.


China grants visa-free entry to Saudi travelers

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Updated 28 May 2025
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China grants visa-free entry to Saudi travelers

RIYADH: China is allowing visa-free entry for 30 days for travelers from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain in a one-year trial, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

The new policy begins on June 9, 2025, and will last until June 8, 2026, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing.

Passport holders from the four countries will be allowed to travel to China for business, sightseeing, visiting relatives or friends, exchanges and transit, Mao said.

China now grants visa-free access to all Gulf Cooperation Council countries, having implemented reciprocal policies with the UAE and Qatar since 2018.

“We welcome more friends from the GCC countries to embark on an impromptu trip to China,” Mao said.  

Previously, Saudi Arabia had held Approved Destination Status with the East Asian nation, which came into effect on July 1, 2024.

This bilateral agreement gave access to tourists visiting the respective countries in groups.

The announcement is the latest step in strengthening ties between the two nations.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aims to attract 5 million Chinese tourists annually by the end of the decade.

The two countries also share a strong trade relationship, and the Kingdom is China’s largest trading partner in the Gulf.


KSrelief expands aid across global crisis zones

(SPA)
Updated 28 May 2025
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KSrelief expands aid across global crisis zones

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSrelief continues to make a significant global impact, providing critical assistance to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

In Somalia, KSrelief distributed 1,220 food baskets to families affected by floods in camps across the Banadir region, benefiting 7,320 people.

The Saudi aid agency also distributed 900 food baskets to vulnerable displaced families in Sudan’s Blue Nile State, benefiting 4,050 individuals.

In Yemen, KSrelief launched a project to treat childhood cancer in Mukalla district, Hadramout governorate, involving five volunteers specializing in various medical fields.

So far, the KSrelief medical team has examined 23 children and reviewed their treatment plans. They also conducted training sessions for local health care workers, benefiting 10 individuals to date, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Since its launch in May 2015, KSrelief has implemented 3,435 projects worth more than $7.9 billion across 107 countries, in partnership with more than 317 organizations.


Study outlines forest fire prevention plan

Updated 28 May 2025
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Study outlines forest fire prevention plan

RIYADH: The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification has completed a study to enhance forest protection and reduce wildfire risks in support of environmental sustainability goals.

Titled “Forest Fire Prevention and Post-Fire Recovery in the Southern and Southwestern Regions of Saudi Arabia,” the study was conducted in collaboration with King Khalid University and Monash University in Australia.

It includes an assessment of forest conditions and risk factors, the development of a digital database, and a review of preventive measures and community practices, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The study proposes an integrated response plan involving relevant agencies, with defined roles and the use of modern tools such as early warning systems and drones.

It also offers field designs and sustainable alternatives for strategic firebreaks, a post-fire recovery guide, a performance evaluation tool, and a framework for joint operations.

To support this, the study outlines a mechanism for engaging local volunteer teams in forest areas through training, capacity-building, and coordination with authorities.

The study demonstrates institutional, technical, and community collaboration in forest protection. It reflects Saudi Arabia’s efforts to preserve natural resources and address climate-related challenges while balancing development with ecosystem conservation.

The national center continues to promote sustainable vegetation cover and has launched an initiative to plant 60 million trees — equivalent to restoring 300,000 hectares — by 2030.