Eng. Muhammad Alshaalan, CEO of the Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve Development Authority, revealed efforts to engage the private sector in the protected areas, whether through hotels, rural lodges or sustainable hunting reserves.
He disclosed an agreement with the Ministry of Tourism and the Saudi Tourism Authority to attract investments in the sector.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Alshaalan said that the Authority was seeking to create jobs for the local community and increase the contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises, in addition to activating eco-tourism in the Kingdom.
Asked about the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Reserve, he said: “It is one of six royal reserves in Saudi Arabia, established in 2018 by royal order. It is located in the northeastern part of the country on an area of 91,000 square kilometers. It has three main goals, mainly the preservation, development and diversification of wildlife.”
He added that around 80,000 to 100,000 people live in villages and deserts within the reserve.
“We seek to create jobs and training for the local community and increase the contribution of small and medium businesses,” he said.
The Authority aims to promote ecotourism in general, Alshaalan emphasized, noting that the reserve was home to beautiful sites, including the historic King Abdulaziz Palace in Linah, the ancient market, and Darb Zubaydah.
“These places attract local and foreign visitors, who are looking to explore historical and environmental areas of this kind,” he stated.
He noted that the Authority has established a center for houbara breeding, with the support and guidance of the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Prince Turki bin Muhammad bin Fahd.
He explained that the main objective was to conduct studies and research on this particular bird, especially the Asian Houbara, and on its reproduction and release in its natural habitats.
According to Alshaalan, the center aspires to create jobs for the local community and is mainly managed by the residents, with the aim to promote the development of the local economy, the use of surplus production for sustainable hunting, the activation of regulated hunting reserves, as well as attracting investors and those interested in the sector.
“The Prince Saud Al-Faisal Wildlife Center was established in the 1980s, followed by Al-Taysiyah Reserve… With the Saudi vision, environmental events have greatly accelerated...” he remarked.
The CEO of the Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Natural Reserve Development Authority noted that the Houbara bird was threatened with extinction, as a result of the destruction of natural habitats and other factors.
He explained: “In the first years, we will start in the center with a capacity of up to 1,000 productive birds; we mainly seek to train and prepare, so that we can take full advantage of this production, and then basically simulate nature, whether in the production process or feed.”
Alshaalan underlined the importance of preserving the genetic sequence and the environmental and natural characteristics of the bird.
Asked about plans to engage the private sector in the investments of the reserve, he said: “We have today a set of paths, whether in hotels, rural lodges, sustainable hunting reserves, or the Zubaydah trail activities and the activation of tourist areas. We have signed an agreement with the Ministry of Tourism and the Saudi Tourism Authority, aimed at attracting investors in the protected areas in general.”
