It had never been seen before and has not been seen since. A species of snake called the Sarso Island racer, for example, is known only from a single specimen collected in 1964 on Sarso Island in the Farasan archipelago off Jazan. Some animals in Saudi Arabia have only been seen once or twice in history.

If new animals are being discovered just outside of the capital, then just imagine what species await discovery in the many remote regions of this vast Kingdom. For example, a new species of reptile (known only by its Latin name, Tropiocolotes wolfgangboehmei) was discovered recently in the Ath-Thumamah area just north of Riyadh. New species are still being discovered and many more have yet to be found. Saudi Arabia’s biodiversity is enigmatic. Given the great challenges of breeding in Saudi Arabia, we must help these birds by not disturbing their nests, by keeping our hungry cats inside, and by leaving every tree and bush and shrub and blade of grass intact wherever possible. The presence of these birds is testimony to the capacity of animals to endure extreme hardships just to raise their young. And yet birds manage to breed throughout the country, from the forested peaks of the Asir Mountains to the extraordinarily sparse sand seas of Rub Al-Khali. There are surely few places on the planet that offer a more challenging nesting site than this hot, dry, windswept ecosystem. Each year, about 27 million pairs from more than 200 species breed in the Kingdom. These migratory birds are guests in our desert Kingdom, and we must help them by giving them safe passage across this wide and sandy land. Others are some of the largest birds on Earth, with colossal wingspans exceeding 3.5 meters, such as the formidable Great White Pelican. Some of these birds are tiny, such as the willow warbler, which weighs only 10g - as small as a teaspoon of sugar. Some nest as far away as Alaska and Canada in the east, from where set off on an epic, 15,000 kilometer journey across all of Asia, through Saudi Arabia, and on to southern Africa, where they spend the winter before returning north to breed once again. Precisely 500 species of bird live in the Kingdom, along with 117 types of mammals, 107 reptile species, eight kinds of frog, 148 varieties of butterfly, 266 types of coral, and 1,230 species of fish.Īt Saudi Aramco, we strive to create a culture that prioritizes an understanding of the country’s ecological habitats, their plants and animals - and promotes their protection.įrom creating a wildlife sanctuary in Rub’ Al-Khali (also known as the Empty Quarter), to establishing artificial reefs, to planting millions of mangrove trees and desert trees, and developing a mangrove eco-park, we conduct initiatives that protect the biodiversity of our land, seas and coastlines.Īlmost 300 of the 500 species of bird in Saudi Arabia are migratory, flying in from breeding sites in Greenland, Europe, Asia, India or Africa. Saudi Arabia’s biodiversity is remarkably rich. This year’s theme is biodiversity, which provides an opportunity to celebrate the plants and animals that share the land, air and water with us. June 5 marks the UN’s 46th World Environment Day.

Sarso island racer