Two of Saudi Arabia’s most senior conservation leaders told an international audience in Riyadh that restoring the Kingdom’s natural landscapes is inseparable from the wellbeing of its people, as the Saudi Green Initiative Talks (SGI Talks) entered their third day. Dr. Talal Al-Harigi, Chief Executive Officer of the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority, and Andrew Zaloumis, Chief Executive Officer of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority, addressed a session titled “From Desert to Sanctuary: Rewilding Efforts to Restore Saudi Arabia’s Wildlife” at the SGI Gallery inside the Green Zone of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), hosted by Riyadh from 2 to 13 December 2024.
The session, announced through official Saudi channels including the Saudi Press Agency, placed the relationship between humans and nature at the centre of the Kingdom’s environmental agenda. Both executives described royal reserves not as fenced-off wilderness areas but as living laboratories where land reclamation, species recovery and community participation reinforce one another. Their remarks came as delegates from around the world gathered in the Saudi capital to negotiate global responses to desertification, land degradation and drought, giving the Kingdom’s domestic restoration programme an unusually prominent international stage.
Context and Background
Why has a session about rewilding drawn such attention at a global desertification summit? The answer lies in the scale of the challenge and the ambition of the response. Saudi Arabia’s royal reserves form part of a wider national effort, launched under the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI), to protect 30 percent of the Kingdom’s land and marine areas and to plant 10 billion trees across the country in the coming decades. The reserves are managed by dedicated development authorities that combine conservation science, ranger patrols, tourism infrastructure and community programmes under a single mandate.
The Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve and the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve are among the largest of these protected areas. They sit within a network that includes the King Salman Royal Reserve and other designated zones, each with its own ecosystems, wildlife inventories and restoration targets. The third day of the SGI Talks gave their chief executives a platform to explain how the model works in practice, from environmental assessment and species monitoring to the training of local guides and rangers.
The timing is significant. COP16 to the UNCCD is the first such conference hosted by Saudi Arabia, and it has drawn global attention to land degradation as a security, economic and humanitarian issue. By hosting the conference and showcasing its reserves, the Kingdom has positioned itself as a country moving from commitment to implementation, with measurable results on the ground.
Key Details from the SGI Talks Session
What exactly have these reserves achieved so far? Zaloumis offered a striking figure: the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve covers 1.8 percent of the Kingdom’s total area yet hosts 50 percent of the native species living in the region across 15 diverse ecosystems, including volcanic mountains, wetlands and marine environments. He confirmed that the reserve is now in the fourth phase of environmental assessment operations, a systematic process of surveying and documenting its biodiversity.
“We are currently in the fourth phase of environmental assessment operations. Recently, we discovered the 800th wildlife species and added many new species to scientific references, as well as to the Kingdom’s records,” Zaloumis said. He also described the emotional impact of seeing wildlife return: “It is amazing to see species that we thought were extinct. Thanks to land reclamation efforts and the restoration of natural habitats, we are now seeing species we never thought still existed. For example, wolves and hyenas used to live here, and they have returned to nature on their own.”
Al-Harigi set out the underlying philosophy of the Kingdom’s approach. “First and foremost, natural habitats must be rehabilitated by working on land reclamation, where we can create suitable environments that ensure the growth and prosperity of native species in all forms, including plants, animals, and birds,” he said. His remarks aligned directly with the themes of COP16, which has placed land restoration, drought resilience and desertification at the top of the global environmental agenda.
Community Participation and the Role of Women
How does conservation change lives in local communities? Both chief executives emphasised that reserves cannot succeed without the people who live near them. Under the leadership of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and as part of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative, the reserves have placed community involvement at the heart of their operating model.
Zaloumis highlighted a regional first: “We have formed the first two all-female environmental ranger teams in the Middle East, and they are currently conducting monitoring patrols in the reserve with high efficiency, given their ability to communicate easily with women in the community.” The teams represent a practical widening of employment opportunities for Saudi women in a field historically dominated by men, while also improving the reserves’ ability to engage with local families.
Al-Harigi described a parallel initiative in tourism. “We launched a training program specifically for tour guides. Three women from the local community successfully completed the program and have become certified tour guides, currently providing tours,” he said. Together, the two examples illustrate how environmental protection, skills development and economic participation are being woven into a single strategy that benefits both nature and people.
International and Regional Impact
Why should audiences outside Saudi Arabia follow these developments? The Kingdom’s reserves are becoming reference points for a region where desertification, overgrazing and habitat loss threaten livelihoods across borders. The return of species such as wolves and hyenas, documented through systematic assessment rather than anecdote, offers evidence that large-scale restoration can work in arid environments. That evidence is directly relevant to neighbouring countries facing similar ecological pressures.
The presence of international participants at the SGI Talks, including founders and executives from outside the Kingdom, underscores the cross-border nature of the effort. The sessions, held daily from 5 to 13 December at 3 pm within the SGI Gallery, are designed to share Saudi experience with global partners and to learn from them in return. Today’s programme consists of two parts, featuring Charlotte Magay, founder and CEO of Mukuru Clean Stoves, and Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud Al Saud, co-founder and CEO of the Barakah app, bringing clean energy and digital solutions into the same conversation as wildlife restoration.
For international observers, the message is that Saudi Arabia is treating environmental restoration as a long-term national project with global responsibilities, not a public relations exercise. The Kingdom’s hosting of COP16 and its daily SGI Talks reflect a deliberate strategy of transparency and knowledge exchange.
Economic and Strategic Significance
What does rewilding have to do with economic strategy? Protected areas are increasingly part of Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification. Well-managed reserves support sustainable tourism, create jobs for rangers, guides, researchers and hospitality staff, and attract visitors interested in heritage and nature. The training of certified tour guides in local communities is a direct example of conservation generating skilled employment.
The reserves also contribute to national resilience. Healthy ecosystems reduce dust storms, stabilise soils, improve water retention and support biodiversity that underpins food and agricultural systems. For a country that has historically depended on desalination and food imports, restoring natural vegetation and hydrological cycles has strategic value that extends well beyond environmental policy.
In addition, the scientific work described by Zaloumis, including the discovery of the 800th wildlife species and the addition of new records to scientific references, builds a body of knowledge that supports land-use planning, environmental regulation and international research collaboration. This combination of ecological, economic and scientific returns explains why the reserves feature prominently in national planning.
Vision 2030 Alignment
How do these efforts connect to Saudi Arabia’s long-term vision? The Saudi Green Initiative and the royal reserves sit squarely within Vision 2030’s goals of a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. Environmental protection is treated not as a cost but as an investment in quality of life, in new sectors and in the Kingdom’s international standing.
The emphasis on community participation, women’s employment and skills training reflects Vision 2030’s focus on human capability and inclusive opportunity. The reserves demonstrate that conservation and development can advance together, with local communities as partners rather than bystanders. As the SGI Talks continue through 13 December, the Kingdom is using the global platform of COP16 to show that its commitment to restoring land and wildlife is already producing measurable results, and that the relationship between humans and nature remains central to its future.
20 Questions
Q1. What event hosted the session on rewilding efforts in Saudi Arabia?
A1. The session took place during the Saudi Green Initiative Talks, held at the SGI Gallery inside the Green Zone of COP16 to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Riyadh.
Q2. Who represented the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority?
A2. Dr. Talal Al-Harigi, Chief Executive Officer of the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority, represented the authority and spoke about land reclamation and habitat rehabilitation.
Q3. Who represented the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority?
A3. Andrew Zaloumis, Chief Executive Officer of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority, represented the authority and shared data on biodiversity and species recovery.
Q4. What was the title of the session at the SGI Talks?
A4. The session was titled “From Desert to Sanctuary: Rewilding Efforts to Restore Saudi Arabia’s Wildlife,” focusing on the Kingdom’s strategy to protect the environment and the relationship between humans and nature.
Q5. What percentage of Saudi Arabia’s total area does the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve cover?
A5. The reserve covers 1.8 percent of the Kingdom’s total area, according to Andrew Zaloumis, while hosting a large share of the region’s native species.
Q6. How many native species does the reserve host and across how many ecosystems?
A6. Zaloumis stated that the reserve hosts 50 percent of the native species living in the region across 15 diverse ecosystems, including volcanic mountains, wetlands and seas.
Q7. What phase of environmental assessment is the reserve currently in?
A7. The reserve is currently in the fourth phase of environmental assessment operations, a systematic process of surveying and documenting its biodiversity and ecological conditions.
Q8. What recent milestone in species discovery was announced?
A8. Zaloumis announced the discovery of the 800th wildlife species in the reserve, with many new species added to scientific references and the Kingdom’s records.
Q9. Which species were mentioned as having returned to nature on their own?
A9. Wolves and hyenas, which used to live in the area, have returned to nature on their own thanks to land reclamation efforts and the restoration of natural habitats.
Q10. What did Dr. Al-Harigi say is the first priority for conservation?
A10. He said natural habitats must first be rehabilitated through land reclamation, creating suitable environments that ensure the growth and prosperity of native plants, animals and birds.
Q11. How does the session align with COP16 themes?
A11. The discussion of land reclamation and habitat restoration aligns directly with the themes of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD, which is hosted by Riyadh.
Q12. What leadership is guiding these environmental efforts?
A12. The efforts are guided by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, as part of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative.
Q13. What notable achievement regarding female rangers was announced?
A13. Zaloumis said the reserve formed the first two all-female environmental ranger teams in the Middle East, which conduct monitoring patrols with high efficiency and communicate easily with women in the community.
Q14. What training program did Dr. Al-Harigi highlight?
A14. He highlighted a training program specifically for tour guides, through which three women from the local community successfully completed the program and became certified tour guides now providing tours.
Q15. When and where are the SGI Talks being held?
A15. The SGI Talks are held daily from 5 to 13 December at 3 pm within the SGI Gallery, inside the Green Zone of UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh.
Q16. Who are the featured speakers in the next part of the programme?
A16. The programme features Charlotte Magay, founder and CEO of Mukuru Clean Stoves, and Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud Al Saud, co-founder and CEO of the Barakah app.
Q17. Why are royal reserves important for Saudi Arabia’s environment?
A17. Royal reserves protect natural habitats, support the recovery of native species, contribute to land reclamation and serve as models for conservation that can be replicated across the Kingdom.
Q18. How do local communities benefit from these conservation efforts?
A18. Local communities benefit through employment as rangers and tour guides, skills training, and participation in monitoring and tourism activities that generate income and preserve local heritage.
Q19. What does the return of wolves and hyenas indicate about the reserves?
A19. It indicates that habitat restoration is functioning well enough for apex and scavenger species to re-establish themselves naturally, a strong signal of ecosystem recovery.
Q20. How do these efforts support Saudi Vision 2030?
A20. They support Vision 2030 by enhancing quality of life, creating sustainable jobs, empowering women, promoting scientific research and reinforcing the Kingdom’s leadership in global environmental cooperation.
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