Saudi Ministry reviews plans for renewable water in Eastern Province

The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture held a meeting to review the utilization of renewable water and how to maximize its economic value. (SPA)
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Updated 13 July 2024
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Saudi Ministry reviews plans for renewable water in Eastern Province

  • The review was held during a workshop organized by the ministry at its headquarters in Riyadh

RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture held a meeting to review the utilization of renewable water and how to maximize its economic value, as well as to plan supply and demand in all regions, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

According to the SPA, the ministry’s plans are in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

The review was held during a workshop organized by the ministry at its headquarters in Riyadh, in cooperation with the Sharqia Development Authority, which was attended by officials and specialists in the ministry, the Saudi Irrigation Organization, and the SDA.

The workshop addressed renewable-water plans across the Kingdom, and included a review of the results of the ministry’s study into supply and demand in the Eastern Province.

Other topics addressed included proposed water transmission and distribution systems and routes, the identification of current and potential beneficiaries of treated water in the Eastern Province, and the proposed mechanism and possible alternatives to transmit treated water to beneficiaries effectively and efficiently.

“The workshop’s main objective is to enhance the compatibility of the outputs of the study in the preliminary outline of the supply and demand for renewable water in the Eastern Province,” Dr. Saud Al-Murshid, director general of the planning department in the water sector, told the SPA.

Al-Murshid underlined the importance of guaranteeing the compatibility of these outputs with the region’s strategic development plans to maximize the economic benefit of renewable water, and to support development plans in all sectors.


Saudi reserve records critically endangered Ruppel’s vulture

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Saudi reserve records critically endangered Ruppel’s vulture

RIYADH: King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority has announced the sighting and documentation of a Ruppel’s vulture (Gyps rueppellii) within the boundaries of the reserve — a landmark environmental and historical event.

This is the third officially documented record of the species at national level and the first of its kind in the central and eastern regions of the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The sighting carries global significance given the conservation status of the vulture, which is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, following the loss of more than 90 percent of its population throughout its original range in Africa over the past three decades.

The appearance of this rare bird in King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve adds a new entry to the limited record of its sightings in the Kingdom, which began in Aseer region in 1985, followed by a sighting in 2018, and another in AlUla in September 2025. 

Its latest recording in central and eastern Saudi Arabia is considered an important environmental indicator of the quality of natural habitats provided by the reserve.

Globally, Ruppel’s vulture faces major threats, including poisoning from pesticides, electrocution, collisions with power lines, and the loss of nesting sites as a result of urban expansion and land-use change. 

Additional challenges include the decline of carrion resulting from changes in livestock-rearing practices, illegal hunting for use in traditional beliefs, and the adverse effects of climate change on its breeding areas and migratory routes.

The vulture is primarily found in the African Sahel and is considered extremely rare in the Arabian Peninsula. Its sighting in King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve underscores the Kingdom’s leading role in conserving biodiversity and supporting the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 for protecting ecosystems.

It also reflects the success of the authority’s efforts to protect wildlife and restore ecosystems, positioning the reserve as a safe and attractive habitat for rare and native species.