Restoring ecological balance through conservation of native species

Restoring ecological balance through conservation of native species

Restoring ecological balance through conservation of native species
Over 220 endangered animal species have been reintroduced to the wild in Saudi royal reserves over the past three years. (SPA)
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As we endeavor to rebalance the ecological scales, we find there are no quick fixes for restoring our planet’s health. It cannot be achieved in a day, a month or even a year. It requires the relentless dedication of the brightest of minds and the most passionate of hearts, a tireless spirit, and a commitment to long-term goals.

Regeneration is a slow process and the time to act is now. This principle of immediate action to safeguard and rejuvenate flora and fauna underpins the ecological regeneration initiatives underway in AlUla, and across Saudi Arabia more broadly. In tandem with its evolution as a luxury boutique heritage destination, AlUla has consistently focused on land restoration to reclaim the ecological balance it once had, while ensuring benefits for the local community.

AlUla has set aside 12,500 square kilometers to create six nature reserves: Sharaan, Wadi Nakhlah, Gharameel, Harrat Uwayrid, Harrat AlZabin and Harrat Khaybar. This allocation represents more than 50 percent of the region’s total area. The identification of more than 500 species of flora in AlUla underscores its rich biodiversity and diverse landscapes.

The Kingdom is also actively reintroducing native animal species to their natural habitats, enhancing biodiversity and contributing significantly to the revitalization of AlUla’s ecological cycle. Since 2019, these efforts have been supported by scientific insights and strategic refinements. AlUla monitors animal populations and collects data, adhering to international standards and collaborating with organizations such as Panthera and the International Union for Conservation of Nature to ensure their conservation initiatives are effective and sustainable.

In 2023, the Royal Commission for AlUla achieved a significant milestone with its largest-ever release of about 1,000 animals across three nature reserves. This initiative focused on reintroducing four native herbivore species: Arabian gazelle, sand gazelle, Arabian oryx and Nubian ibex.

By taking decisive action now, AlUla is not just planning for its future as a global destination but is actively securing a brighter, more sustainable future for the planet.

Jose Ferreira

This strategic reintroduction of large herbivores represents a critical step in reconstruction of the ecosystem, setting the stage for the eventual reintroduction of the critically endangered Arabian leopard.

AlUla operates a state-of-the-art breeding center that has enjoyed remarkable success. In 2023, the center celebrated the birth of seven leopard cubs and has effectively doubled the captive-breeding population from 14 to 27 over the past two years. This growth is a hopeful sign for the survival of this majestic species.

This ongoing effort is part of a broader vision for AlUla that aims for holistic and sustainable regeneration. It is an approach that integrates the protection and revival of ancient heritage sites with the development of a vibrant natural habitat. It also ensures that indigenous plants and animals will coexist with new infrastructure such as hotels, homes, schools and community centers.

The exemplary integration of heritage and nature is showcased through AlUla’s Hegra Wildlife and Nature Tour. This safari-style experience allows visitors to immerse themselves in the stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife near Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, illustrating the practical and inspirational reasons behind AlUla’s conservation efforts.

These endeavors are not only about preserving the past but also about shaping a sustainable future, contributing significantly to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. By taking decisive action now, AlUla is not only planning for its future as a global destination, it is actively securing a brighter, more sustainable future for the planet and all its inhabitants.

Jose Ferreira is the conservation breeding and reintroduction director at the Royal Commission for AlUla, with a principal focus on the Arabian leopard.

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view

Iranian FM on Islamabad visit, says Tehran reserves right to ‘legitimate defense’ against Israel

Iranian FM on Islamabad visit, says Tehran reserves right to ‘legitimate defense’ against Israel
Updated 2 min 16 sec ago
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Iranian FM on Islamabad visit, says Tehran reserves right to ‘legitimate defense’ against Israel

Iranian FM on Islamabad visit, says Tehran reserves right to ‘legitimate defense’ against Israel
  • Araghchi is in Pakistan on a two-day visit to discuss Middle East tensions, bilateral ties 
  • Decries Israel’s “acts of genocide” in Gaza, ongoing attacks in Lebanon, assault on Iran on Oct. 26

ISLAMABAD:  Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi arrived in Pakistan’s capital on Tuesday for a two-day official visit to discuss a range of issues, including tensions in the Middle East, saying at a press conference that Tehran reserved the right to a “legitimate defense” against Israeli aggressions though it did not seek escalation.

Araghchi was addressing a joint media briefing with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in which he spoke about Israel’s “crimes and acts of genocide” in Gaza, its ongoing attacks in Lebanon and its assault on Iran on Oct. 26. 

Iran’s supreme leader on Saturday threatened Israel and the US with “a crushing response” over attacks on Iran and its allies. Any further attacks from either side could engulf the wider Middle East, already teetering over Israel’s assault of the Gaza Strip and its ground invasion of Lebanon, into a wider regional conflict as the US goes into a presidential election today, Tuesday.

“Unlike the Israeli regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran does not seek escalation,” Araghchi told reporters. “However, we reserve our inherent right to legitimate defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and we would certainly respond to the Israeli aggression in a proper time and in a proper manner.”

Since the deadliest attack by Hamas in its history on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has carried out air and ground strikes in Gaza in which over 42,000 people have been killed. Since late September, it has also been at war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are allies of Iran. 

Pakistan, a major ally of Saudi Arabia, shares a long border with Iran but ties have been frosty over a range of issues, including cross-border militancy. 

During Tuesday’s press conference, the Iranian foreign minister appreciated Pakistan’s stance in condemning Israeli aggression against Iran. 

“We [Muslim nations] are working toward a solution to stop these atrocities and to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza and Lebanon at the upcoming OIC meeting, especially as winter approaches, which will only intensify the hardships of the homeless and refugees in Gaza and Lebanon,” Araghchi added. 

Saudi Arabia will also host a joint Arab-Islamic summit on Nov. 11 to address Israeli assaults in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon.

PAK-IRAN TIES

Speaking about bilateral relations, Araghchi reiterated Iran’s commitment to the promotion of ties with Pakistan in all areas, including economic, political, academic, cultural, and tourism.

“The objective of this round of consultation is the promotion of the all-out relations between Iran and Pakistan with a new focus on the bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade and economy,” he added.

Speaking at the media briefing, Pakistani FM Dar said during his meetings with Araghchi, he had emphasized the need for an “urgent” ceasefire, de-escalation, and dialogue aimed at realizing the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

“We also resolved that in the upcoming joint Islamic summit in Jeddah, which has been scheduled for the 11th of November, we would pool our efforts in order to make sure that we come up with a joint approach to the issues for which this joint summit has been called,” Dar said. 

Dar said both sides had also discussed ways to enhance cooperation across several key areas, including trade, energy, and border security. 

“We agreed to intensify collaboration on border management and address shared challenges as we underscored that terrorism and extremism pose a serious threat to the regional peace and pledged to coordinate our joint efforts to eradicate these challenges,” he added.

Pakistan and Iran have had a rocky relationship despite several commercial pacts between the two countries on trade, energy, and security. Both countries signed the $7 billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project agreement in 2004 but 20 years on, the project remains incomplete due to funding challenges and threats of US sanctions over doing business with Tehran. 

Iran has completed the pipeline’s construction on its side of the border while Pakistan is seeking a US waiver to go ahead with building the project. Pakistan has also hired two prominent US law firms, Willkie Farr & Gallagher and White & Case, to defend its position in an international arbitration case initiated by Tehran over the stalled gas pipeline project, the attorney general confirmed to Arab News on Monday.

Pakistan and Iran are also often at odds over instability on their shared, porous frontier, with both countries routinely trading blame for not doing enough against militants who carry out cross-border attacks. 

Tensions surged in January when Pakistan and Iran exchanged airstrikes, both claiming to target alleged militant hideouts in each other’s countries. 


Erdogan ally floats Turkiye constitutional amendment to let him extend his tenure

Erdogan ally floats Turkiye constitutional amendment to let him extend his tenure
Updated 2 min 10 sec ago
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Erdogan ally floats Turkiye constitutional amendment to let him extend his tenure

Erdogan ally floats Turkiye constitutional amendment to let him extend his tenure

ANKARA: The main political ally of longstanding Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that a constitutional amendment should be considered to allow the president to run again in elections set for 2028.
After his re-election last year, Erdogan is serving his last term as president unless parliament calls an early election, according to the constitution. He has ruled Turkiye for more than 21 years, first as prime minister and then as president.
“Wouldn’t it be a natural and right choice to have our president elected once again if terror is eradicated, and if a heavy blow is dealt to inflation and Turkiye secures political and economic stability,” said Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which is allied with Erdogan’s ruling AK Party (AKP).
A constitutional amendment to secure Erdogan’s ability to re-run in the presidential elections should be considered, he said in a parliamentary speech to MHP lawmakers.
Bahceli, a staunch nationalist, rattled Turkish politics last month by suggesting that the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) could be allowed to speak in parliament if he announces an end to the group’s insurgency.
Some analysts said the shock suggestion might be motivated by an AKP-MHP desire to win the support of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, parliament’s third-biggest, for a constitutional change that could boost Erdogan’s prospects in 2028 elections.
A constitutional change can be put to a referendum if 360 lawmakers in the 600-seat parliament back it. An early election also needs the support of 360 MPs.
AKP and its allies have 321 seats while DEM has 57.


Pakistani mechanic fulfills childhood dream of building, flying homemade paraglider

Pakistani mechanic fulfills childhood dream of building, flying homemade paraglider
Updated 18 min 46 sec ago
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Pakistani mechanic fulfills childhood dream of building, flying homemade paraglider

Pakistani mechanic fulfills childhood dream of building, flying homemade paraglider
  • Muhammad Ashraf completed first successful flight in Balochistan’s Bostan town on Oct. 28, reaching 300 feet
  • Ashraf modified 1000cc motor vehicle engine into functional paragliding engine, sourced local materials and parts

BOSTAN, Balochistan: Muhammad Ashraf, a 28-year-old motor vehicle mechanic in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, was barely a teenager when he had to quit school to help his ailing father support their family.

While Ashraf went on to become a successful technician and set up his own workshop in the rugged town of Kuchlak in the impoverished Balochistan province, his real dream was different: to build a paraglider and fly high in the skies.

In 2021, the mechanic workshop owner got to work making a fan-powered, three-wheel paramotor. He watched paragliding videos on Facebook and YouTube and eventually contacted some fellow mechanics in the provincial capital of Quetta to help him find the required engine and parts.

“I started my work by watching online videos. I didn’t learn from anyone, neither do I have enough education for anyone to teach me, nor is there any such system in our country,” Ashraf told Arab News in an interview this week ahead of a flight of his paraglider.

“I bought an old engine. I opened it and rebuilt it again myself. Once I was fully confident about the engine, I installed it,” he added. “The advantage of the Cultus [compact car] engine is that it’s lightweight yet powerful, with a 1,000cc capacity.”

Other than the car engine, Ashraf used local materials and parts to build the paramotor, spending $5,776 on the project. With a large iron rod hanging in the front to control the movement of the wings and two right-left pedals as the accelerator and brake, Ashraf’s paramotor can fly for half an hour on almost 20 liters of gasoline.

“It was too costly for me to purchase an imported engine and other parts for my paramotor from abroad, hence I used local iron and parts ordered from Lahore, Karachi and Quetta. I used local wood and trimmed it into wings for my paramotor.”

“ACHIEVEMENT FOR PEOPLE OF BALOCHISTAN”

Paragliding is a lucrative business in Pakistan’s picturesque northern areas, annually frequented by hundreds of thousands of tourists. But most people are unfamiliar with paragliding in remote, arid Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area but its most poor and underdeveloped.

Ashraf says he is the first person who has built his own paramotor in the province, completing its first successful flight on Oct. 28 in Killi Qasim, a village in his hometown of Bostan in Pishin district.

“I was quite nervous before taking out my two-seater paraglider for the first flight, but I flew for three minutes and went up to 300 feet in the sky,” he recalled. “My family, friends and other people in my village were very happy when I touched the paraglider down on the ground.”

Muhammad Azam Bazai, a union councilor in Bostan, described Ashraf’s locally made paramotor as an “achievement for the people of Balochistan” and requested the provincial government to support him in building paragliding tourism in the province.

“We were initially mocking him, saying we didn’t believe his aircraft would ever fly or get off the ground,” Bazai said. “But when he flew the paraglider, I was so happy that I can’t even express the joy.”

Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, said the government would look into the viability of Ashraf’s project.

“In the past, the government has promoted such initiatives and positive steps taken by the youth of Balochistan,” he told Arab News. “And if there is any professional or commercial viability in this, the government of Balochistan will definitely support this individual.”

Having successfully built his flying machine, Ashraf now wants to upgrade it to a three-seater with a more powerful engine, and also aspires to build more paramotors for flying enthusiasts in Balochistan.

“I will try to teach people who want to learn how to make and fly it,” the mechanic said as he climbed into his paraglider, readying for flight.

“Whoever is interested in learning in Balochistan, I am here to help.”


Energy sector drives GCC IPO gains in Q3, positive year-end outlook: PwC 

Energy sector drives GCC IPO gains in Q3, positive year-end outlook: PwC 
Updated 19 min 51 sec ago
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Energy sector drives GCC IPO gains in Q3, positive year-end outlook: PwC 

Energy sector drives GCC IPO gains in Q3, positive year-end outlook: PwC 

RIYADH: Initial public offerings across the Gulf Cooperation Council region registered a year-on-year increase in proceeds in the third quarter of 2024, despite a decline in the number of listings, according to a new report. 

The energy sector spearheaded this quarter’s growth, led by NMDC Energy’s listing, which raised $877 million — the largest IPO in the UAE this year, stated PwC Middle East. 

Saudi Arabia’s parallel market, Nomu, also contributed to the quarter’s performance, with three listings. 

PwC forecasts strong aftermarket performance for companies completing IPOs in 2024, predicting that most of the top 10 IPOs by deal size will trade above their initial offering prices. 

This outlook suggests a favorable market reception for large IPOs in the coming year, with strong investor demand potentially driving post-IPO stock prices higher. 

“As has been the case in recent years, Q3 has seen relatively few companies come to market. Since the end of the quarter, we have seen a number of IPOs either completed or announced across the GCC, including OQ Exploration and Production, Oman’s largest ever IPO, supporting the positive outlook for the remainder of 2024,” said Muhammad Hassan, capital markets leader at PwC Middle East. 

In the third quarter, bond issuances in the GCC raised $4.4 billion, marking an almost 30 percent increase over the previous year. 

Additionally, $5.2 billion was raised through sukuk issuances, with 88 percent of these bonds listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange or Nasdaq Dubai. 

Governments in the region accounted for nearly 65 percent of total bond and sukuk issuances. 

“Looking forward, the outlook for the GCC IPO market remains positive with a healthy IPO pipeline of companies from a diverse range of sectors busy preparing for their upcoming IPOs across the region,” the report stated. 


Saudi-Portuguese Business Council launches investment regulation initiative to boost trade

Saudi-Portuguese Business Council launches investment regulation initiative to boost trade
Updated 3 min 31 sec ago
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Saudi-Portuguese Business Council launches investment regulation initiative to boost trade

Saudi-Portuguese Business Council launches investment regulation initiative to boost trade

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Portugal are aiming to increase awareness of investment regulations in both countries to boost trade thanks to a first-of-its-kind initiative.

Announced by the Federation of Saudi Chambers, the Saudi-Portuguese Business Council signed a memorandum of understanding with Ibrahim Al Howishel Law Firm to facilitate the entry of Portuguese companies into the Kingdom.

The MoU will also encourage regional companies to invest in Portugal by acting as a legal advisor. It will be the first of its kind among Saudi foreign business councils within the federation.

Its objective is to increase the number of international investors in the Kingdom by informing them about the positive developments, regulatory environment, and investment landscape.

Walid Al-Balhan, chairman of the Saudi-Portuguese Business Council, emphasized that the recently signed MoU aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to attract foreign investment and strengthen international business ties.

He also said the advisor would address investor queries and provide guidance on regulations, building confidence among Portuguese companies looking to enter the Kingdom.

He extended his gratitude to the Federation of Saudi Chambers and relevant government bodies for their support of the council’s initiatives.

Under the agreement, both parties will collaborate with the Kingdom’s authorities to host workshops for Portuguese firms interested in the Saudi market.

These sessions are expected to cover key topics, including the Premium Residency system, foreign investment regulations, and company setup processes, as well as strategic investment opportunities and incentives for firms considering relocating their headquarters to Saudi Arabia.

The agreement also includes cooperative efforts to refine investment procedures for Saudi companies in Portugal, propose incentives for entities from the European country to attract investors within the Kingdom, and provide advisory support for companies in both nations.