In the vast, untamed expanses of northwestern Saudi Arabia, an extraordinary transformation is taking place.
NEOM, an ambitious $500 billion giga-project, is spearheading a pioneering rewilding initiative that is breathing new life into the region’s ecosystems. At the heart of this endeavour lies NEOM’s Nature Reserve, a sprawling 25,000 square kilometre sanctuary where a massive commitment has been made: to protect 95 percent of the land for conservation purposes.
In late 2022, the reserve witnessed the first phase of its rewilding programme unfold as a group of iconic species, translocated from the National Centre for Wildlife (NCW) in Riyadh, made their long-awaited homecoming. Among them were the Arabian oryx, an antelope that had been absent from NEOM’s sands for over a century.
“The oryx we brought back were the first time oryx have walked the sands of NEOM in 100 years,” Dr. Paul Marshall, Head of NEOM’s Nature Reserve, told Arabian Business. Joining the oryx were ibex, sand gazelles, and mountain gazelles, all released into the larger reserve after acclimatising in specially designed pens.
But the rewilding efforts have already borne remarkable fruit. In the first breeding season alone, the reserve has witnessed a baby boom, with over 60 newborns from these five species taking their first tentative steps in their ancestral homeland. “Even the Ostriches have had babies – we’ve got baby ostriches running around at the moment, which is super cute,” Marshall revealed.
Plans are in motion to reintroduce predators like the caracal, Arabian lynx, and cheetah, further restoring the region’s ecological balance and creating a truly thriving, self-sustaining ecosystem.
“We’re really excited about it, but certainly in our strategies is to include our rewilding programme cats in particularly the caracal, the Arabian Lynx, and cheetah,” he explained.
Inside NEOM Nature Reserve’s ambitious regreening programme
Hand-in-hand with rewilding is NEOM’s ambitious regreening programme, a bold initiative aimed at reintroducing 100 million native plants to the landscape. Launched in early 2023, the programme has already planted an impressive 2 million trees, with a target of 20 million within the next couple of years.
At the heart of this effort is a state-of-the-art, fully solar-powered plant nursery – the first of its kind in the kingdom – which produces a staggering 1 million plants annually from locally sourced seeds. The impact of these efforts is already visible.
“If you come here now, you can see these landscapes – where we haven’t done regreening it looks like the desert everybody expects with very few plants. But where we’ve regreened, there’s this incredible landscape of very diverse native species, and the air is full of buzzing insects,” said Marshall.
The regreening efforts don’t just benefit plant life; they create vital new habitats for the reintroduced wildlife too.
“We’re already off to a really good start and we’re seeing some amazing successes already.”
Saudi Red Sea marine zoning, spatial planning
While the land-based initiatives grab headlines, NEOM’s conservation efforts extend far beyond terrestrial ecosystems. The reserve has implemented a comprehensive spatial planning process to designate areas for protection within the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba, allowing vital marine habitats like coral reefs to flourish.
“We have a marine zoning plan now that clearly defines where people can do what, and it includes areas that will be protected from human activities, so we can allow the marine ecosystem to bounce back as well,” Marshall explained.
“It’s a beautiful marine environment, we’ve got crystal clear waters, thriving coral reefs, and soon with these protection measures, we hope to have a whole lot more large fish in the area, creating some incredible tourism opportunities.”
From sea turtles and sooty falcons to dugongs and dolphins, NEOM’s waters teem with an extraordinary array of marine life. Key projects underway include sea turtle monitoring and satellite tagging, dedicated dugong surveys, aerial surveys of megafauna using drones, and critical habitat work with corals and seagrass.
NEOM plans future ecotourism programmes
As NEOM’s rewilding and regreening efforts take root, the project is poised to become a world-class ecotourism destination, offering visitors the chance to not just witness, but actively participate in its trailblazing conservation work.
“For us, ecotourism is an opportunity to bring people into the conservation story,” Marshall said.
“We believe that conservation is best achieved by including people, not by excluding them.”
As the project’s first development area, Sindalah Island, prepares to welcome visitors, plans are in motion to invite guests to lend a hand in regreening and rewilding efforts through volunteering opportunities and immersive experiences.
“Once NEOM opens up to tourism, we’ll be inviting people to be part of the conservation work – helping with regreening and rewilding, so that they can see some of the world’s most ambitious programmes up close and get involved,” he said.
“That will be a big part of the appeal of coming to NEOM.
Saudi celebrates World Environment Day 2024
As Saudi Arabia celebrated hosting World Environment Day last week, focused on ecosystem restoration and reversing desertification, NEOM stood as a shining example of the kingdom’s commitment to environmental protection. With its rewilding and regreening initiatives, NEOM is pioneering proactive measures to revive the region’s biodiversity and natural splendour on an unprecedented scale.
“What you’re seeing here is the kingdom really embracing the incredible natural heritage it has,” Marshall said.
“NEOM is a great example of just how rich our natural environment is here, and World Environment Day is a chance for us to celebrate what we’re doing in NEOM and in the kingdom when it comes to environmental protection.”
As NEOM restores native wildlife to the region and replants millions of trees and plants, this ambitious environmental initiative aims to reverse past damage and habitat loss through innovative conservation efforts.
By combining new technologies with a long-term commitment to rewilding and regreening, NEOM demonstrates what is possible when protecting nature becomes a priority.
Follow us on
