Farasan Islands Marine Sanctuary Secures Ramsar International Status

The Ramsar Convention has added the Farasan Islands Marine Sanctuary in the Red Sea to its List of Wetlands of International Importance, making it the first Saudi marine reserve recognised under the convention. The convention, adopted in the early 1970s, provides a framework for the preservation and efficient use of wetlands and their resources.

The National Center for Wildlife launched a national programme in October with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology to protect Saudi Arabia’s marine ecosystems from non-native and invasive species through field surveys, DNA barcoding and maritime traffic analysis.

The Farasan Islands archipelago comprises ecosystems that include coral reefs, mangrove forests and varied wetlands, providing habitat for rare species and serving as an important stopover for migratory waterbirds travelling between continents and crossing Saudi Arabia. Species cited include the pink backed pelican and the sooty falcon, alongside marine mammals such as the dugong.

Farasan also became the first Saudi reserve to join UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere programme in 2021.