Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife has released 66 endangered species into the King Khalid Royal Reserve.In collaboration with the Imam Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority, the National Center for Wildlife (NCW) has reintroduced 40 Arabian Oryx, 10 Addax, 6 Nubian Ibex, and 10 Houbara Bustards.
Dr. Mohammed Ali Qurban, Chief Executive Officer of NCW described the event as a crucial step toward ensuring the sustainability of wildlife, preserving ecosystems, and conserving biodiversity. He stated that the NCW aspires to be a global leader in wildlife protection, with a focus on breeding endangered species and reintroducing them into their natural habitats in line with the highest international standards.
Established as the Saudi Wildlife Authority in 1986, the National Center for Wildlife was renamed in March 2019 with new mandates.
The NCW recently announced that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has included the NCW-managed Ibex Reserve in its exclusive Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas. The Ibex Reserve became the first reserve in Saudi Arabia to meet all the required criteria and indicators to join the list, which includes less than 80 reserves out of over 300,000 protected areas worldwide.
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