His Highness Prince Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, Prince of Najran region, inaugurated the projects of the Urug Bani Ma'arid Model Reserve to qualify the protected area to be the first model Protected Area in the Kingdom. His Highness also launched the released a number of wild species, including 22 Arabian oryx, 10 Reem gazelles and 5 Idmi gazelles, as part of the national program for the reintroduction and resettlement of endangered wild species in nature reserves and parks throughout the Kingdom, which is implemented by the National Center for Wildlife.
On this occasion, His Excellency Dr. Mohammad bin Ali Qurban, CEO of the National Center for Wildlife, stated that the launch of the Urug Bani Ma'arid Model Protected Area projects comes in implementation of the directives of the wise leadership -may Allah support them- to preserve the environment and its natural components, and in implementation of the national strategy for preserving the environment and its wild heritage in accordance with the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
His Excellency, the CEO of the National Center for Wildlife, also explained that the inauguration aims to qualify the Urug Bani Ma'arid Protected Area as a model nature reserve in terms of its success in achieving the goals for which it was established within the global index of management effectiveness, and to be a pioneering reserve through its nomination within a number of global programs concerned with the preservation, conservation and development of natural heritage.
His Excellency stated that the list of pilot projects for the Urug Bani Ma'arid Protected Area includes 7 projects: the protected area’s nomination for the natural world heritage and the green protected areas programs, the conservation and monitoring program using modern technologies, the redesign of protection ranges, the preparation of a detailed plan for environmental rehabilitation, the preparation of scientific research and monitoring mechanisms directed to the conservation of wildlife, local community participation, awareness and environmental education program, preparation of a sustainable grazing plan.
His Excellency ended his statement by pointing out that this reintroduction of endangered wildlife species accompanying the launch of projects comes within the national program for the reintroduction and resettlement of endangered wildlife in nature reserves and parks throughout the Kingdom and for reinforcement of the wildlife groups released in the protected area with the aim of enriching the genetic diversity of the current herds.
