Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The third day of SGI Talks featured a conversation with the CEOs of two of Saudi Arabia’s royal reserves, under the topic From Desert to Sanctuary: Rewilding Efforts to Restore Saudi Arabia’s Wildlife.

Dr. Talal AlHarigi, CEO, Imam Abdulaziz Royal Nature Reserve Development Authority, and Andrew Zaloumis, CEO, Prince Mohammad bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority (PMBSRR), sat down to discuss the Kingdom’s conservation strategy and the intrinsic connection between people and nature.  

They elaborated on efforts to create a reserve network that protects the breadth of natural habitats found in Saudi Arabia. The Prince Mohammad bin Salman Royal Reserve “makes up 1.8% of Saudi Arabia but has 50% of its species, across 15 ecosystems from volcanic mountains to territorial waters and deep ocean”, opened Zaloumis. “We are now in our fourth of benchmarking and we have just found our 800th terrestrial species and have added several new species to science, and several new species to the Kingdom”, he added.  

Linking the efforts to UNCCD COP16, which is currently taking place in Riyadh, Dr. AlHarigi elaborated on Saudi Arabia’s approach to land restoration, remarking “We first need to work on restoring habitats. By working on the degraded land, we will be able to create an environment where everything is able to prosper, whether it is plants, small species, other animals, even migrating birds”.

“For me the excitement is in what we thought we didn’t have”, added Zaloumis, “with land restoration and habitat coming back you suddenly see things that you didn’t realize were there. We’ve had wolves, hyenas, and they’ve come back on their own”.

Both CEOs emphasized the imperative of local engagement with the conservation agenda spearheaded by HRH the Crown Prince as part of Vision2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative. “We’ve established the first two female ranger corps in the Middle East. They are operating out there doing patrols, doing what every ranger should do and more, because of the way that they are able to engage with women in the community” explained Zaloumis. Dr AlHarigi added, “We have a dedicated training program for tour guides. Three women from the local community have become certified tour guides... they are now providing tours in the community”.

SGI Talks run daily in the SGI Pavilion, at 3pm. Tomorrow will feature a two-part session called Food for Thought, with perspectives from Charlot Magayi, Founder & CEO, Mukuru Clean Stoves, Kenya, and HRH Abdulaziz Bin Saud Al-Saud, co-founder & CEO of Barakah.

ABOUT THE SAUDI GREEN INITIATIVE (SGI)

Under the patronage of HRH Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Green Initiative is charting a path for the Kingdom in protecting the planet. With ambitious targets spanning the coming decades, the national initiative aims to improve quality of life and protect future generations by increasing reliance on clean energy, offsetting the impact of fossil fuels, and protecting the environment. For more information visit: www.greeninitiatives.gov.sa

SGI AT UNCCD COP16

For the duration of COP16, SGI will welcome the public to a 4,000 m² Pavilion in the Green Zone, where the SGI Gallery will be open to visitors from 9:00am to 7:00pm (Fridays 2:00pm to 8:00pm).

SGI Talks, a daily expert-led speaker series, will run from December 5–13 in the SGI Gallery at 3:00pm, offering insights from global and Saudi climate leaders on key sustainability trends and innovations.

For those following along at home:
Visit our website: Saudi Green Initiatives Forum 2024 | Saudi & Middle East Green Initiatives
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