Diversity of wildlife great attraction for KSA tourists

Tourism is very important. It’s not only a potential source of revenue to deliver goods and services to the people but also one way of preserving resources and protecting the environment and its wildlife.
The Kingdom is located within a typical arid to semi-arid region. It is considered by its unique biological diversity which is relatively low in comparison with other regions all over the world.
However, such diversity contains wild species that have been acclimatized to live under adverse ecological conditions including weather and dry conditions.
The Kingdom’s economic prosperity has resulted in changing lifestyles in agricultural, industrial and urbanization practices; and the increasing resource demands due to increased human population as well as other constrains negatively affected resources to an alarming extent.
In this connection, the Saudi Wildlife Authority (SWA) has created a cultural website, Saudiwildlife.com, whose aim is to showcase and document the Kingdom’s wildlife diversity. "It is an electronic museum, the first of its kind in the Arab World and managed by Saudi specialists on ecology and biodiversity," says SWA's website.
The SWA was established in 1986 and responsible for the conservation and development of wildlife in Kingdom. The commission announced fifteen areas for protection, covering about 85,000 km, which is about 4 percent of the Kingdom’s land area.
To breed some particular indigenous species in captivity and reintroduce them into the wild, the commission established two research centers: The National Wildlife Research Center in Taif (NWRC) and King Khaled Wildlife Research Center in Thumamah (KKWRC).
The NWRC is responsible for the captive breeding and the reintroduction of some key wildlife species that include the Asian houbara bustard, the Arabian oryx and the red-necked ostrich.
The center is deeply committed to develop public awareness, especially in the southwestern part of the Kingdom. It welcomes students and other visitors throughout the year, organize or participate in exhibitions and discussions.
Capturing the beauty of wildlife, Riyadh Zoo provides comfort to its inhabitants and tourists. Animals housed in this zoo have sufficient moving and resting space. It has become a must-visit for tourists of all ages.
The zoo was set up in 1957. Initially it was a small-scale zoo that housed animals gifted to members of the ruling clan of the Kingdom. In 1987, Riyadh Zoo was refurbished and opened to the public.
Riyadh Zoo also has a beautifully spread-out landscape and marvelously set terrains. It consists of more than 1,500 animals of 40 species. A train journey for about 20 minutes covers a good portion of the zoo that multiplies the entertainment of kids, adults and old alike.
Visitors will be astounded by the myriad forms of wildlife such as seals, kangaroos, griffon vultures, tapirs, hyenas, lions, monkeys, rhinoceros, gazelles, leopards, tigers, reptiles, elephants and camels.
The National Commission for Wildlife Conservation & Development (NCWCD) manages 15 protected areas, which include 85,557 sq km.
There are many animals found during traveling in Kingdom. These include Gazelles, Wolves, Sand Cat, Caracal, Rock Hyrax, Mongoose, Hares, Ruppell's Fox, Nubian Ibex, Arabian Leopard, Arabian Oryx and Ratel. Saudi Arabia is also home to 60 lizard species, 34 snake species, nine turtle species, and seven amphibian species.
Saudi Arabia is on important north-south and east-west migratory pathways, so during migrations, the Kingdom can be home to millions of birds of 180 different species.
Several thousand species of migratory birds come to the Kingdom during the winter and fly back home in February for their spring season. Migratory birds are generally found in Al-Hair in Riyadh, Al-Asfar Lake, Jubail Marine Protected Area, and Dawmat Al-Jandal in Al-Jouf, Farasan Islands and Wadi Aljizan.
In view of the Kingdom's conservation plans, hunters have been warned not to kill endangered species such as oryx, gazelle, ibex, Arabian leopards and ostriches.