Saudi issues decree to develop Imam Faisal bin Turki Royal Reserve

Saudi Arabia issued a decree to establish a royal reserve named “Imam Faisal bin Turki”, which will spread across three administrative regions—Asir, Jazan, and Makkah. It will also extend to the Kingdom’s territorial water in the Red Sea.

This will be the eighth royal reserve in the Kingdom, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The move reflects the wise leadership’s interest in preserving environmental and biological diversity to achieve sustainable ecosystems, improve plant productivity, and protect endangered species.

This will be under the supervision of the Council of Royal Reserves, which is headed by Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman.

The reserve spanning 30,150 square kilometers will help achieve Vision 2030 goals, through protecting and enhancing the natural environment in the Kingdom. This will be through adopting a comprehensive vision for the precious ecosystems, preserving the environmental and natural components, ensuring water balance and biodiversity, combating desertification, and sustaining wildlife.

The reserve will contribute to increasing the percentage of royal reserves in the Kingdom from 13.5% to 14.9%. In addition, it will help achieve the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative, which includes protecting 30% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030.

Commenting on this occasion, the Crown Prince said this is one of the royal reserves that the Kingdom developed and supported to be a tributary of national development, which will contribute to providing solutions to several environmental challenges that the entire world is experiencing. In addition, this aims to maximize the opportunities available in preserving capabilities, wealth, and natural sites, as well as support scientific research in various fields.

The move also seeks to enhance the tourism and entertainment sector, protect, and sustain natural resources, and achieve environmental balance, the Crown Prince said.

He added that the reserve's biological diversity will contribute to supporting all forms of life as regards human health and clean air. It will also mitigate the impact of climate change and resistance to natural diseases, which will enhance the development of societies.

The Kingdom is determined to develop its natural resources, improve the quality of life, develop infrastructure, enhance the sustainability of non-oil economic resources, and provide more job and investment opportunities, the Crown Prince said.