RIYADH: The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve has celebrated the birth of the first sand gazelle of the 2025 spring season, bringing the total number of births to 94 since the launch of its rewilding program in 2022.

Native to Saudi Arabia, the sand gazelle is one of 23 species selected for reintroduction into their natural habitat as part of the program, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Reserve CEO Andrew Zaloumis said: “Every new birth is another step closer to our mission to rewild Arabia.”

He added: “We have already reintroduced 11 of the 23 species we are bringing back to the reserve, and we continue to build resilient populations through our growing animal husbandry program.”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the sand gazelle as vulnerable. Its estimated global wild population is just 3,000, with hunting and habitat loss historically posing significant threats.

Thanks to conservation efforts led by royal reserves and protected areas in Saudi Arabia, sand gazelle populations are now steadily increasing, the SPA reported.

TOKYO: The Osaka-Kansai Expo opens on April 13 and Saudi Ambassador to Japan Dr. Ghazi Faisal Binzagr says the event “sends a message about the importance of standing together for connections, prosperity and innovation at a time when the world faces many challenges.” 

Ambassador Binzagr was in Osaka on Wednesday to officially open the Saudi Arabia Pavilion and took the opportunity to emphasize the close relationship the Kingdom has with Japan.

In addition, he said that Saudi Arabia was undergoing an important national “transformation” and this “carries many of the very values that are part of what Expo stands for: Sustainable economic growth and prosperity for the world. 

Ambassador Binzagr said that Saudi Arabia shared many similar values with Japan — the two countries are celebrating 70 years of diplomatic relations this year — and noted that the next Expo would be held in Riyadh. 

The Saudi Arabia Pavilion, he said, represented innovation and creating opportunities for the next generation, as well as “values that are important in the realization that peace and prosperity happens when we all commit to it.” 

He added: “Our pavilion highlights such a spirit and we’ve tried very hard to bring Saudi Arabia to Japan through this pavilion so that a visitor that walks through it will get a glimpse of our heritage, which we are honored by, and will see the dynamism taking place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today as well as a glimpse of our future and where we’re heading. 

“This future includes exciting projects such as Al-Qadiyah and NEOM, but the pavilion also showcases down-to-earth aspects of Saudi culture such as our coffee and dates ...  hospitality that has been part of traditions for centuries.”  

The pavilion will present more than 700 significant events that will capture different elements and aspects of Saudi Arabia with themes such as art, music, nature and business. 

Anticipating the excitement of hosting the next Expo in Riyadh in 2030, Ambassador Binzagr said: “It’s always an honor to receive the torch from Japan and take it forward.

“As ambassador to Saudi Arabia, I feel there’s such deep alignment, not just in key values, but in the importance of embracing the challenge, of being simultaneously proud of your heritage, and yet also relevant for today and eager to be shapers of the future.

“That’s a balance that we share with Japan. And when we take the torch from Japan, we feel we take that journey forward. Today, you visit us in our home in Japan. Tomorrow, we hope you visit us in your home in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

• This article was first published on Arab News Japan