Riyadh to focus on urban planning at Egypt forum

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman issued royal decrees on Sunday that included relieving several senior officials of their duties, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The orders relieved Mohammed Al-Madi from his position as head of the Military Industries Corporation, Ghassan Al-Shibl from his role as advisor to the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and Talal Al-Otaibi from his post as assistant minister of defense.

RIYADH: A new study to document biodiversity in Saudi Arabia will “positively impact” the environment, society and quality of life, according to National Center for Wildlife CEO Mohammad Qurban.

Qurban spoke to Arab News about how the Decade Land Expedition for Terrestrial Ecosystem Exploration “reflects national efforts to restore ecosystems and enhance ecological balance, in line with the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative and Saudi Vision 2030.”

Qurban told Arab News: “The expeditions provide an updated and accurate database that constitutes a baseline for integrated and sustainable management, which benefits the sustainability of our natural resources and the balance of our environment.

“This positively impacts environmental, social, and economic development and raises the quality of life.”

The expedition is scheduled to provide a comprehensive inventory of biodiversity in all study areas, identifying breeding and distribution sites.

It will also create a national database and interactive maps of recorded sites and species, he added.

The Decade Land Expedition for Terrestrial Ecosystem Exploration is one of the largest national projects to explore biodiversity in the Kingdom, according to a recent statement issued by the center.

The project will help to document the significant biological wealth of Saudi Arabia, he added, and strengthen the Kingdom’s role in regional and international environmental agreements.

“The Kingdom boasts 65 ecosystems and more than 12,000 species of wild plants and animals,” Qurban said.

“The Kingdom will have a unique database of its terrestrial and marine ecosystems, a starting point for sustainable management and a reliable reference for researchers and scientists,” Qurban said.

The expedition will involve experts and researchers from the Kingdom and beyond, in collaboration with national universities, research centers, royal reserves and other international organizations.

It will identify endemic, threatened and restricted-range species, assessing the threats they face, and developing plans to mitigate those threats and create a safe and sustainable environment.

The program also involves updating the national wetland plan in the Kingdom.