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King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority Receives IUCN Administrative Classification Accreditation

The King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve (SPA).
The King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve (SPA).
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King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority Receives IUCN Administrative Classification Accreditation

The King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve (SPA).
The King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve (SPA).

The King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve has been accredited by the International Union for Conservation of Nature for meeting international administrative classification standards.

The accreditation is a significant endorsement, qualifying the reserve to be included among efficiently managed and effective natural reserves.

Through its strategies, the authority seeks to preserve the valuables of the reserve and reinstate its environmental balance. It also works on protecting the environment and nature in accordance with the best international practices to ensure a sustainable environment for today and tomorrow’s generations as pledged by the Saudi Vision 2030, and the Saudi Green Initiative.

The King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve is the largest wildlife reserve in the Middle East and Asia, and is characterized with its geographic and historic diversity.

Covering over 130,000 sq. km, the reserve is the fourth-largest protected area in the world and the largest in the Middle East. It spans four administrative regions: Al-Jawf, Hail, Tabuk, and the Northern Borders, and includes UNESCO-listed historical sites like Jubbah, with origins dating back over 8,000 years BC.

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How to Catch the Quadrantids, the First Meteor Shower of 2025

This 1825 etching provided by the Library of Congress shows an astronomical chart depicting Bootes the Ploughman holding a spear, a sickle, and two dogs, Asterion and Chara, on leashes, a quadrant, and the hair of Berenice forming the constellations. (Sidney Hall/Library of Congress via AP)
This 1825 etching provided by the Library of Congress shows an astronomical chart depicting Bootes the Ploughman holding a spear, a sickle, and two dogs, Asterion and Chara, on leashes, a quadrant, and the hair of Berenice forming the constellations. (Sidney Hall/Library of Congress via AP)
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How to Catch the Quadrantids, the First Meteor Shower of 2025

This 1825 etching provided by the Library of Congress shows an astronomical chart depicting Bootes the Ploughman holding a spear, a sickle, and two dogs, Asterion and Chara, on leashes, a quadrant, and the hair of Berenice forming the constellations. (Sidney Hall/Library of Congress via AP)
This 1825 etching provided by the Library of Congress shows an astronomical chart depicting Bootes the Ploughman holding a spear, a sickle, and two dogs, Asterion and Chara, on leashes, a quadrant, and the hair of Berenice forming the constellations. (Sidney Hall/Library of Congress via AP)

When the Quadrantid meteor shower peaks on Friday, it will be the year's first chance to see fireballs in the sky.

A waning crescent moon means good visibility under clear and dark conditions.

Most meteor showers are named for the constellations where they appear to originate from in the night sky. But the Quadrantids “take their name from a constellation that doesn’t exist anymore,” said NASA's William Cooke.

These meteors usually don't have long trains, but the heads may appear as bright fireballs. The peak may reveal as many as 120 meteors per hour, according to NASA.

Viewing lasts until Jan. 16. Here's what to know about the Quadrantids and other meteor showers, according to The AP.
What is a meteor shower? As the Earth orbits the sun, several times a year it passes through debris left by passing comets — and sometimes asteroids. The source of the Quadrantids is debris from the asteroid 2003 EH1.

When these fast-moving space rocks enter Earth's atmosphere, the debris encounters new resistance from the air and becomes very hot, eventually burning up.

Sometimes the surrounding air glows briefly, leaving behind a fiery tail — the end of a "shooting star."

You don’t need special equipment to see the various meteor showers that flash across annually, just a spot away from city lights.

How to view a meteor shower

The best time to watch a meteor shower is in the early predawn hours, when the moon is low in the sky.

Competing sources of light — such as a bright moon or artificial glow — are the main obstacles to a clear view of meteors. Cloudless nights when the moon wanes smallest are optimal viewing opportunities.

And keep looking up, not down. Your eyes will be better adapted to spot shooting stars if you aren’t checking your phone.

The Quadrantids will peak on a night with a slim crescent moon, just 11% full.

When is the next meteor shower? The next meteor shower, the Lyrids, will peak in mid-April.