Wildlife Sanctuary to Visit in Saudi Arabia

Well, Saudi Arabia is emerging as one of the most unique tourist attractions, as we have seen how beaches are contributing on the growth of tourism. Saudi Arabia have many other attractions which includes the wildlife sanctuaries. Currently, they are allowing tourists to experience the unique Saudi wildlife which includes thousands of flora & faunas, with 100’s of mammals.

You can see many extinct animals across all the major wildlife sanctuaries, the lion cheetah, Saudi gazelle, Arabian leopard & Arabian Oryx are considered to be extinct. So, in order to protect & preserve these species they are kept into strict surveillance. Here are some of the wildlife sanctuaries in Saudi Arabia that are protecting endangered

1. Shaybah Wildlife Sanctuary

Shaybah Wildlife Sanctuary that promises to let you freely see the endangered Arabian species like the Arabian oryx, sand gazelle, and ostriches. The Shaybah Wildlife Sanctuary was inaugurated in December 2016 with 637 km square in size. which is one of the largest fenced nature reserves in the world. Actually, the place has given these three species a new lease of life. The work done by the authority is remarkably good as a result there is now a total of 76 oryx, 96 gazelle, and 13 ostriches. I think visiting a vast area with one of those preserved animals is something new to experience.

2. Al-Khunfah Natural Reserve

species of fauna and flora across the country.

Al-Khunfah Natural Reserve is located on the edge of Nafud desert covering an area of 19339.0 km² making it the widest natural reserve in the country. It is is an immense flat plain area. The reserve is habitat to a vast number of different species. It includes many bird’s species of avifauna such as Houbara Bustard, Lappet-faced vulture, Sandgrouse, and Rock Doves. You can also see mountain gazelles, turtles and other small mammals & reptiles.

3. Uruq Bani Ma’arid Wildlife Sanctuary

Uruq Bani Ma’arid is a 12,658 km² wildlife sanctuary in Saudi Arabia situated along the western edge of AR-Rub ‘al-Khali. Which is one of the largest sand deserts on Earth. Which is part of UNESCO’s world heritage sites. This protected area and fully biologically diverse. This is the only last known place where Arabian Oryx can be seen in the wild. Ostrich eggshells are found in abundance in the area, and reintroduction of the Common ostrich is under consideration. The authority goal is to maintain the ecosystem without degradation of its biological diversity and productivity and restore populations of threatened species like Rhim gazelle and Mountain gazelle.

4. Saja Umm Ar-Rimth Natural Reserve

This land is ranging to 6,528.2 km²  area in central Saudi Arabia. The place is a new house for the Houbara bustard, as well as the migration spots of Houbara. The main purpose to preserve is to restore degraded biological habitats and enable the local communities to benefit from them.

5. Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area

This reserve was established for the initial reintroduction of captive-bred Arabian Oryx into their natural habitat. This beautiful animal is now extinct in the wilds of Saudi Arabia, and besides that which became the great focus of this natural reserve. There is a plan to reintroduce several other animals like Houbra Bustards, Gazelles, and Ostriches. This is the place to interact closer with wildlife that deserves a mention for its great natural beauty.

6. Nofa Wildlife Center

Nofa Wildlife Park is a kind of safari park where you can see Giraffes in the desert. It is a great way to spend time out of the city while enjoying the company of very well-treated animals, and seeing such an amazing animal in the red dunes is quite a unique sight. You’ll also drive through the safari park then on to the wildlife centers. The safari is open to the public since 2017. In order to have a visit, first you need to schedule in advance which will cost you 100 SAR per person/per tour, and the prices are the same for both adults and kids. Only kids under 2 years old have free entrance.

Saudi Arabia has some of the vast dry landscape in the world. Seeing the diverse biodiversity and the different species of flora and fauna is something new and great to experience. So, I guess everyone must visit the vast, unique and most untouched natural places in the world.