Ibex Reserve becomes first Saudi Green List protected area

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For the Ibex Reserve, this listing marks a global endorsement, evaluated by independent experts. (SPA)
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Updated 30 October 2024
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Ibex Reserve becomes first Saudi Green List protected area

  • Reserve joins group of 77 global sites added for excellence in conservation management

RIYADH: In a milestone for Saudi Arabia’s conservation efforts, the Ibex Reserve has become the first protected area in the Kingdom to be added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Green List.

This recognition places it among only 77 protected areas worldwide that meet the union’s strict criteria for effective management and conservation, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The National Center for Wildlife, which oversees the reserve, emphasized the significance of this recognition, as only a small number of more than 300,000 protected areas globally have earned a place on the Green List.

The Green List program recognizes outstanding areas for effective and equitable management in nature conservation, offering benefits to stakeholders.

For the Ibex Reserve, this listing marks a global endorsement, evaluated by independent experts, of its exemplary management and commitment to preserving ecosystems and biodiversity.

 

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The Green List status highlights the reserve’s contribution to sustainable development and its success in providing valuable services to local communities.

 

The listing reflects the reserve’s achievement in key criteria, including governance, management, design and planning, along with its understanding of social, economic and environmental challenges.

Mohammed Qurban, CEO of the National Center for Wildlife, said: “This listing reaffirms our commitment to preserving ecosystems and supports our 30x30 goal to protect 30 percent of the Kingdom’s land and marine areas by 2030.”

Qurban added that the center aimed to register all national reserves on the Green List as part of Saudi Vision 2030, aligning with global conservation standards and promoting sustainable resource use.

Established in 1988 in the Riyadh region at the request of local communities, the Ibex Reserve spans 1,840 sq. km within the Tuwaiq Mountain range, featuring diverse landscapes, flora and fauna.

It is home to a healthy population of mountain ibex, as well as gazelles, antelopes, hyraxes, and various birds and reptiles.


Ancient Saudi city of Qurh a historic stop for pilgrim and trade caravans 

Updated 6 sec ago
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Ancient Saudi city of Qurh a historic stop for pilgrim and trade caravans 

  • Qurh was the capital of Wadi Al-Qura and a center for Arab markets
  • Architectural features date back to the early Islamic periods

ALULA: Qurh, an ancient city in Saudi Arabia's AlUla governorate, is one of the most prominent historical caravan stops, having served for centuries as a vital hub along the routes of pilgrims and traders, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Located about 20 kilometers south of AlUla's old town, near the village of Mughayra, Qurh is one of the Royal Commission for AlUla's archaeological sites. AlUla's other main heritage sites are Dadan, Hegra and the Old Town. 

Qurh's ruins spread across an expansive plain surrounded by medium-height mountains. The ruins include remnants of architectural structures, marketplaces, streets, and palaces, all of which highlight the city's once-thriving economic and urban life. 

The ruins include remnants of architectural structures, marketplaces, streets, and palaces, all of which highlight the city's once-thriving economic and urban life.  (SPA)

Architectural features dating back to the early Islamic periods also suggest that settlement and cultural growth continued after the advent of Islam.

Known for its commercial activity since pre-Islamic times, Qurh was the capital of Wadi Al-Qura and a center for Arab markets, as described by the historian Hisham ibn al-Kalbi, who identified it as a commercial and cultural center and a cradle of the arts.

The city was located on the route of the historic Incense Road, a trade artery used to transport precious goods from the southern Arabian Peninsula to the north, passing through Wadi Al-Qura. 

The ruins include remnants of architectural structures, marketplaces, streets, and palaces, all of which highlight the city's once-thriving economic and urban life.  (SPA)

According to Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, the RCA's vice president for culture, the excavations in Qurh have so far proved "that there was some interaction with China at the beginning of the Islamic period."

"Evidence exists of interactions and trade extending as far as China. With the China, for example, merchants who brought porcelain, medicines and silk to Arabia with incense for sure, ivory, while other valuables travelled in the opposite directions," he said in an interview produced by FT Longitude in partnership with The Royal Commission for AlUla.  

AlUla, at present part of Saudi Arabia's western province of Madinah, has been home throughout history to the ancient Dadanites, Lihyanites, Nabataeans, Sabaeans, Minoans, Egyptian, Romans and Arabs. 


Saudi defense minister holds talks with UK security, defense officials

Updated 29 May 2025
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Saudi defense minister holds talks with UK security, defense officials

  • Prince Khalid bin Salman and UK National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell discussed strategic partnership between the two countries

LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held talks with the UK’s National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell in London on Wednesday.

The two sides “reviewed the strong friendship and strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the UK,” the Saudi Press Agency reported. “They also reviewed areas of cooperation and discussed regional and global developments, as well as ongoing efforts to support security and stability.”

The talks followed a meeting on Tuesday between Prince Khalid and British Defense Secretary John Healey during which they discussed strategic defense cooperation.


Saudi Embassy coordinating with Turkiye to find boy who fell into a creek

Updated 28 May 2025
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Saudi Embassy coordinating with Turkiye to find boy who fell into a creek

  • The embassy coordinated with child’s family after he reportedly went missing in a river in Trabzon province
  • Turkish authorities are investigating the incident

ANKARA: The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Turkiye confirmed on Wednesday that it is coordinating with Turkish authorities to search for a Saudi child who reportedly fell into Haldizen Creek in Uzungol region.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the embassy issued a statement clarifying the reports circulating in media outlets and across social media platforms regarding the incident in Trabzon province.

“From the first moments of the incident, the embassy coordinated with the child’s family and contacted the relevant Turkish authorities to investigate the incident,” the statement said.

“The authorities have responded and are gratefully conducting extensive searches in the area and its surrounding to locate the child. We ask God Almighty to crown these efforts with success and to protect everyone from all harm,” it added.


Founding nations sign Global Water Organization charter in Riyadh

Updated 28 May 2025
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Founding nations sign Global Water Organization charter in Riyadh

  • Ceremony was attended by Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who highlighted the importance of the GWO in tackling water issues worldwide
  • Prince Faisal said that Saudi Arabia would provide financial and logistical support to the GWO for the next five years

RIYADH: The Global Water Organization officially launched operations from its headquarters in Riyadh on Wednesday, with founding member states signing the organization’s charter.

The ceremony was attended by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who highlighted the importance of the GWO in tackling water issues worldwide through a holistic approach, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

“The launch of the Global Water Organization affirms Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strengthening international initiatives and addressing global challenges through partnerships based on cooperation between countries and governments,” Prince Faisal said.

“The Kingdom looks forward to the organization becoming an international platform that drives sustainable solutions and supports developing nations in enhancing their water capabilities,” he said.

Prince Faisal said that Saudi Arabia would provide financial and logistical support to the GWO for the next five years, emphasizing that collective action was essential to achieving shared objectives. Prince Faisal invited all countries and private-sector entities to join the organization.

Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley took part in the ceremony and emphasized that the signing of the Global Water Organization’s charter and the launch of its operations from Riyadh reinforced shared international responsibility to preserve water resources.

Al-Fadley added that the importance of the organization stemmed from water being not just a resource, but a source of economic and social development and stability worldwide.

He described the organization as “not just a platform that brings countries together, but a collective global mind working to develop and integrate the efforts of countries and organizations to address water challenges comprehensively.”

“The Global Water Organization will lead international efforts to address water-related challenges and transform traditional water management approaches. These challenges go beyond water scarcity to ensure its availability at the right time and place and recognize its impact on the economy, public health, food security and supply chains, especially in the face of climate change,” he said.

He emphasized the importance of having an integrated system that covered all stages of the water cycle, adopting innovative economic models based on cost-benefit analysis, introducing new financing mechanisms, reducing reliance on government subsidies, and actively involving the private sector.

The GWO’s charter was signed by representatives from founding countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Spain, Senegal, Pakistan, Greece and Mauritania.

The organization aims to strengthen the efforts of countries and organizations to address water challenges.


Saudi FM receives US envoy to Syria in Riyadh

Updated 28 May 2025
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Saudi FM receives US envoy to Syria in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received US envoy to the Syrian Arab Republic Thomas Barrack in Riyadh on Wednesday.

During the meeting, they discussed steps to provide economic, humanitarian and other support to the Syrian people, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji received Ambassador of Italy to the Kingdom Carlo Balducci in Riyadh on Wednesday.

They discussed bilateral relations and other topics of common interest.