JEDDAH: AlUla officials have signed a deal with a leading international conservation organization to help protect the natural environment of the Saudi governorate.
The Royal Commission for AlUla inked the agreement with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to garner support for its efforts to preserve the area’s ecological balance.
Commission chiefs hope the accord will contribute toward enhancing AlUla’s status as one of the top archeological and natural cultural destinations in the world.
RCU Gov. Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan penned the deal with IUCN Director General Dr. Bruno Oberle during the union’s conference in Marseille, France.
The commission was participating in the event as part of its objective to support and empower reserves and manage natural heritage through the IUCN-World Commission on Protected Areas’ green list of protected and conserved areas, while also supporting the management and restoration of wildlife.
The RCU’s conservation vision is in line with the Green Saudi Arabia initiative, allocating 80 percent of AlUla’s area to natural reserves, restoring 65,000 hectares of degraded land, and introducing new vegetation cover through the planting of more than 200 local tree varieties along with a further 3 million trees.
The terms of the agreement include developing education initiatives, building capacities to preserve and sustainably manage natural resources, promoting tourism, and encouraging joint cooperation with international experts and IUCN members.
Amr Al-Madani, chief executive officer of the RCU, said the deal would contribute toward supporting global efforts to preserve nature.
“Cooperation with the IUCN over the next three years will help us to establish an active presence within this system and implement our plans through benefitting from the accumulated experiences in preserving nature, which will help us to implement our vision in reality,” he added.
The commission has adopted a sustainable approach to environmental protection and development through a number of programs and initiatives including rehabilitating Sharaan Nature Reserve which extends over an area of 1,560 square kilometers.
Other plans include a long-term strategy to preserve the Kingdom’s Khaybar region through a comprehensive assessment of the animals and plants living there, the establishment of a nursery to grow 56 plant types as part of an environmental rehabilitation program, and irrigation-related works.
Via its vision, and Journey Through Time scheme launched in April, the RCU aims to make AlUla an international destination for natural culture and heritage, and ecological tourism, as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 reform plan.
The Kingdom has been a member of the IUCN since 1981, while the RCU’s participation is the first through this program by its contribution to workshops and discussions.
