Ibex Reserve, located south of Riyadh, joins the global gold standard for protected areas and sanctuaries.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Saudi National Wildlife Center (NCW) has announced that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has added the IBEX Reserve to its exclusive Green List of Protected and Conservation Areas. The IBEX Reserve, managed by NCW, becomes the first protected area in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to meet all the necessary criteria and indicators to join the list, which includes less than 80 of the more than 300,000 protected areas worldwide.

FIRST SAUDI PROTECTED AREA LISTS ON IUCN GREEN LIST - IBEX PROTECTED AREA, JUST SOUTH OF RIYADH JOINS THE LIST WHICH SETS THE GLOBAL STANDARD FOR PROTECTED AND CONSERVED AREAS.

Inclusion on the IUCN Green List represents global recognition by independent experts of the effectiveness of the IBEX Reserve's management program and reflects the Reserve's success in meeting key Green List criteria including effective governance, transparency and accountability, management based on the best available scientific expertise and local knowledge, consideration of social and economic context, and proactive planning.

"The Green List status of the IBEX Reserve not only enhances its international standing, but also advances our broader conservation and sustainable development initiatives. We are actively working with our wildlife sector partners to bring all our national reserves up to this international standard." Dr. Mohammed Qurban, Chief Executive Officer of the National Wildlife Center, said.

The National Wildlife Center currently manages 11 protected areas in Saudi Arabia. Since 2017, the NWC has supported the expansion of Saudi Arabia's marine protected areas from 3.6% to 6.5% , and terrestrial protected areas from 4.5% to 18.1% , and the Kingdom is on track to meet the 30x30 target contained in the United Nations' Quintessence-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The IBEX Reserve, located in the Tuwaiq Mountains in central Saudi Arabia, was established in 1988 at the request of local communities to protect a group of threatened species of IBEX. As a result of NCW's tireless efforts, IBEX populations have increased significantly.

NCW works with local communities around the reserve and throughout the Kingdom to promote sustainable development, ecotourism, scientific research and heritage conservation.

The IBEX Reserve also provides habitat for other vulnerable species, including rock hyenas, foxes, birds and reptiles, and has a variety of vegetation, including acacia trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses.