The importance of diversity in Saudi wildlife was the main topic at an event that the French consulate general and the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) of Taif Cultural Service organized at the consulate on Monday.
“The public awareness of nature conservation, through information and environmental education is the only way to ensure the successful rehabilitation of indigenous wild species. Respecting our environment is not incompatible with modern life, but it is vital for future generations,” said NWRC Director Ahmed Al-Boug.
Olivier Couppey, audiovisual graphics and web designer at NWRC, explained how they established the wildlife research center, the reserves where they are protecting different species of animals especially the Asain Houbara bustard, Arabian oryx, Sudanese ostrich, Arabian gazelles and leopards.
The national wildlife research center is working under National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD) that established in 1986 in Riyadh.
Couppey said the main mission of the research center is nature conservation but more specifically to protect wildlife as animal and plants, to breed indigenous species and reintroduce them into the wild.
“That’s what we have been doing for the past 27 years. We still have a lot of work to do on public awareness, which equally important. We have to educate people to better understand and be keen to protect wildlife,” he explained.
NCWCD fulfills its mandate to restore and manage the Kingdoms indigenous wildlife plants and animals through a network of 16 protected areas and two captive breeding centers. The protected areas are At-Tasiya, Umm Al-Qamari, Majami Al-Hadab, Fursan Island, Harrat Al-Harrah, Al-Khunfa, at Tabouk, Mahazat As-Sayd and others. There are three reserves in north, two at the North West, and one south east of Tabouk.
“Some of the areas we choose for the habitat, and to protect and reintroduce indigenous species. It is truly significant to protect these species, as they are part of ecosystem chain. We aim to keep biodiversity constant and save the environment,” he explained.
He also said until now a large success of their project is saving the Houbara bustard, Arabian oryx and the gazelles from extinction. The leopard project is in the first phase of breeding,
“We now have nine leopards. We will make a network of areas in Sarawat Mountains, which we can protect, and learning what are possibilities are at our disposal to keep this species of leopard safe,” he explained.
He further said Mahazat is the first laboratory for several species as gazelles, ostrich, Asian Houbara bustard, Arabian oryx. Inside the reserves there are a lot of other species, such as insects, foxes and wildcats. Vultures are getting maximum protection, and migrant birds are stopping over.
In these reserves, there are not only the key species but many other species are taking advantages of the reserves’ protection.
French Consul General Louis Blin said Saudi Arabia is hardly known for the richness of its wildlife.
He also said that the main aim of the evening was to share the experience of French expert and to spread the awareness on Saudi wildlife and its preservation. France has reached an agreement with Saudi universities as well as scientists to enhance the stability and preservation of wildlife in Saudi Arabia.
Conserving Saudi wildlife vital for future generations
Conserving Saudi wildlife vital for future generations
Riyadh takes shape at Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium 2026
RIYADH: This season, one of Riyadh’s busiest streets has taken on an unexpected role.
Under the theme “Traces of What Will Be,”sculptors are carving granite and shaping reclaimed metal at the seventh Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium, running from Jan. 10 to Feb. 22.
The symposium is unfolding along Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Road, known locally as Al‑Tahlia, a name that translates to desalination. The choice of location is deliberate.
The area is historically linked to Riyadh’s early desalination infrastructure, a turning point that helped to shift the city from water scarcity toward long‑term urban growth.
Twenty‑five artists from 18 countries are participating in this year’s event, producing large‑scale works in an open‑air setting embedded within the city.
The site serves as both workplace and eventual exhibition space, with sculptures remaining in progress throughout the symposium’s duration.
In her opening remarks, Sarah Al-Ruwayti, director of the Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium, said that this year new materials had been introduced, including recycled iron, reflecting a focus on sustainability and renewal.
She added that the live-sculpting format allowed visitors to witness the transformation of raw stone and metal into finished artworks.
Working primarily with local stone and reclaimed metal, the participating artists are responding to both the material and the place.
For Saudi sculptor Wafaa Al‑Qunaibet, that relationship is central to her work, which draws on the physical and symbolic journey of water.
“My work … presents the connection from the salted water to sweet water,” Al‑Qunaibet told Arab News.
Using five pieces of granite and two bronze elements, she explained that the bronze components represented pipes, structures that carry saline water and allow it to be transformed into something usable.
The sculpture reflected movement through resistance, using stone to convey the difficulty of that transition, and water as a force that enables life to continue.
“I throw the stone through the difficult to show how life is easy with the water,” she said, pointing to water’s role in sustaining trees, environments and daily life.
Formally, the work relies on circular elements, a choice Al‑Qunaibet described as both technically demanding and socially resonant.
“The circle usually engages the people, engages the culture,” she said. Repeated circular forms extend through the work, linking together into a long, pipe‑like structure that reinforces the idea of connection.
Sculpting on site also shaped the scale of the piece. The space and materials provided during the symposium allowed Al‑Qunaibet to expand the work beyond her initial plans.
The openness of the site pushed the sculpture toward a six‑part configuration rather than a smaller arrangement.
Working across stone, steel, bronze and cement, American sculptor Carole Turner brings a public‑art perspective to the symposium, responding to the site’s historical and symbolic ties to desalination.
“My work is actually called New Future,” Turner told Arab News. “As the groundwater comes up, it meets at the top, where the desalination would take place, and fresh water comes down the other side.”
Her sculpture engages directly with the symposium’s theme by addressing systems that often go unseen. “Desalination does not leave a trace,” she said. “But it affects the future.”
Turner has been sculpting for more than two decades, though she describes making objects as something she has done since childhood. Over time, she transitioned into sculpture as a full‑time practice, drawn to its ability to communicate across age and background.
Public interaction remains central to her approach. “Curiosity is always something that makes you curious, and you want to explore it,” she said. Turner added that this sense of discovery is especially important for children encountering art in public spaces.
Saudi sculptor Mohammed Al‑Thagafi’s work for this year’s symposium reflects ideas of coexistence within Riyadh’s evolving urban landscape, focusing on the relationships between long‑standing traditions and a rapidly changing society.
The sculpture is composed of seven elements made from granite and stainless steel.
“Granite is a national material we are proud of. It represents authenticity, the foundation, and the roots of Saudi society,” Al‑Thagafi told Arab News.
“It talks about the openness happening in society, with other communities and other cultures.”
That dialogue between materials mirrors broader social shifts shaping the capital, particularly in how public space is shared and experienced.
Because the sculpture will be installed in parks and public squares, Al‑Thagafi emphasized the importance of creating multi‑part works that invite engagement.
Encountering art in everyday environments, he said, encouraged people to question meaning, placement, simplicity and abstraction, helping to build visual‑arts awareness across society.
For Al‑Thagafi, this year marked his fifth appearance at the symposium. “I have produced more than 2,600 sculptures, and here in Riyadh alone, I have more than 30 field works.”
Because the works are still underway, visitors can also view a small on‑site gallery displaying scaled models of the final sculptures.
These miniature models offer insight into each artist’s planning process, revealing how monumental forms are conceived before being executed at full scale.
As the symposium moves toward its conclusion, the completed sculptures will remain on site, allowing the public to encounter them in the environment that shaped their creation.
