Saudi wildlife center, ocean regeneration initiative deal aims to protect marine, coastal environment

Princess Reema bint Bandar and Mohammed Qurban sign the MoU. (SPA)
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Updated 19 February 2024
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Saudi wildlife center, ocean regeneration initiative deal aims to protect marine, coastal environment

  • Officials from NCW and Wave initiative inked a memorandum of understanding to boost collaborative conservation efforts in the Kingdom
  • Princess Reema said the joint strategy would help bolster environmental sustainability projects in relation to marine conservation

RIYADH: Saudi wildlife chiefs have signed an agreement to expand links with an ocean regeneration initiative aimed at protecting marine biodiversity and the coastal environment.

Officials from the National Center for Wildlife, and the Wave initiative, inked a memorandum of understanding at the center’s headquarters in Riyadh to boost collaborative conservation efforts in the Kingdom.

Under the terms of the cooperation deal, the Wave initiative, represented by Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar, and the wildlife center, led by CEO Mohammed Qurban, will work to maintain Saudi Arabia’s landscape and biodiversity, safeguard its surface water, restore balance in nature, ensure a greener future for generations to come, and support international efforts, while exploring possibilities for future joint actions.

Princess Reema said the joint strategy would help bolster environmental sustainability projects in relation to marine conservation.

She noted that the partnership reflected green initiatives already underway in the country and the Kingdom’s key role in supporting global efforts to protect the environment.

Marine environmental protection schemes involving Saudi Arabia were being run in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals, and Vision 2030 targets, the princess added.

The National Center for Wildlife was established to protect wild animal populations and ecological diversity in the Kingdom.

It aims to improve sustainability and quality of life in Saudi Arabia, and increase its social and economic impact through partnerships, events, and community programs.

The center also supports initiatives and projects that positively impact wildlife development.


Over 4.8m captagon pills found hidden in Jeddah charcoal shipment

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Over 4.8m captagon pills found hidden in Jeddah charcoal shipment

  • Captagon is an addictive, amphetamine-type stimulant that is mass-produced in illicit factories

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 4.8 million captagon pills through Jeddah’s port, hidden inside a shipment of charcoal.

The authority’s spokesperson Hamoud Al-Harbi said that a shipment arrived at the port, which, after being assessed by customs authorities, was found to contain a large amount of the illicit drug, hidden inside charcoal bags, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

After the pills were seized, the authority coordinated with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control to ensure that the intended recipients were arrested.

Al-Harbi added that ZATCA is working to tighten customs control on Saudi imports and exports and stands ready to combat smuggling.

He called on members of the public to contribute to the fight against smuggling.

ZATCA may be contacted for security reports by phone from inside the Kingdom at 1910, outside the Kingdom at +9661910, or by email at [email protected].

The authority receives reports related to smuggling crimes and violations of the customs system in complete confidentiality and offers financial rewards to any reports that are accurate.

Captagon is an addictive, amphetamine-type stimulant that is mass-produced in illicit factories.

It is simple to produce compared to other narcotics, and drug smugglers have found a market for the substance in the Gulf states.

Syria under Bashar Assad was one of the largest producers of captagon in the region.

When his government was overthrown in December 2024, one of the first steps taken by the new President Ahmed Al-Sharaa was to crack down on the production of captagon in Syria.