Supervisory Council Launched to Oversee Saudi's Ibex Protected Area

Saudi Arabia’s National Centre for Wildlife (NCW) has collaborated with the Riyadh Region Municipality to inaugurate the first supervisory council for the Ibex protected area, which encompasses the governorates of Howtat Bani Tamim and Al-Hariq.

The Ibis protected area is an extension of the Tuwaiq mountains and covers approximately 1,841 square kilometres. The area supports a variety of wildlife, including the Arabian oryx, Arabian wolf, rock hyrax, and numerous bird species such as lappet-faced vultures, bustards and eagles.

The new supervisory council aims to involve local communities and relevant stakeholders to enhance management practices within the protected area and align them with international standards.

The NCW has previously launched a variety of programs in the Ibex protected area, such as camping, hiking trails and beekeeping. These programs were launched in order to boost ecotourism and foster economic activities for the local community.