Inaugural Arabian Leopard Day kicks off across the region and shines a spotlight on saving the species
PR94491
ALULA, Saudi Arabia, February 10, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--
- Being held on February 10, the first-ever Arabian Leopard Day focuses
international attention on important and ongoing conservation efforts in AlUla
and beyond
- MoU signed by His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdulla bin Mohammad bin Farhan
Al-Saud, Governor of AlUla and Minister of Culture, and Her Royal Highness
Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, KSA Ambassador to
the US and Founder of Catmosphere
- Plans for protection and conservation of iconic big cat species are fully
aligned with Royal Commission for AlUla's environmental and sustainability
ambitions for north-west Arabia
Iconic buildings and historic landmarks in Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE will
be proudly lit up this evening to mark the first-ever Arabian Leopard Day.
Stunning illuminations, inspired by the majestic but Critically Endangered big
cats, will be simultaneously projected on Riyadh's King Faisal Foundation
building, Jeddah's King Road Tower, Adeer Tower in Al Khobar, Elephant Rock in
AlUla, plus Burj Khalifa and KSA's Expo 2020 pavilion in Dubai as well as a
highly prominent electronic billboard on Sultan Qaboos University Road in
Muscat, Oman.
To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:
Across the region Arabian Leopard Day is also being marked with classroom
education initiatives as well as social media outreach throughout the day with
the hashtag #ArabianLeopardDay. And in a public show of support, many
government entities across Saudi Arabia will incorporate the official Arabian
Leopard Day logo on their websites and social media today.
In an important step forward, the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) today signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Catmosphere foundation to
strengthen regional efforts to protect the future of the Arabian Leopard. RCU
and Catmosphere will work closely together on a series of sustainable and
innovative events, campaigns, and outreach initiatives research with the shared
goal of safeguarding the future of the Arabian Leopard, an animal of national
pride in Saudi Arabia and around the region.
The inaugural Arabian Leopard Day highlights the desperate plight of the
species, which once freely roamed the Arabian Peninsula but is now restricted
to small, scattered populations in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen.
His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdulla bin Mohammad bin Farhan Al-Saud, Governor
of AlUla and Minister of Culture, said: "The signing of the MoU supports RCU's
Arabian Leopard conservation programme, which is at the heart of extensive
sustainable development plans for the wider AlUla region. This agreement also
significantly strengthens existing partnerships with entities concerned with
the conservation of natural fauna and flora, including the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)."
Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia's
Ambassador to the United States and founder of Catmosphere, said: "The signing
of this new MoU supports Catmosphere's mission to secure a future for Big Cats,
including the Arabian Leopard. It builds momentum around regional conservation
efforts with a focus on supporting RCU as it strives to achieve its
far-reaching ambitions to reintroduce the species to the wild."
Amr AlMadani, CEO, Royal Commission for AlUla, said: "The Arabian Leopard is a
powerful symbol of RCU's aim to conserve and safeguard AlUla's natural
environment through far-reaching conservation efforts designed to protect the
natural flora and fauna of this incredible part of north-west Arabia. It is a
sad reality that the Arabian Leopard is Critically Endangered. Ongoing threats
to its natural habitat highlight the pressing need to step up conservation
efforts that are so vital to the species' long-term survival. We really want
people to mark Arabian Leopard Day and engage with activities to raise
awareness of, and help to protect, these majestic big cats."
The Arabian Leopard is emblematic of Saudi Arabia and RCU's extensive
environmental sustainability ambitions. The species occupies a unique place in
the collective consciousness and imagination of the region; images of the big
cat have been found in ancient rock art, have inspired folk tales, and are even
used in modern everyday expressions.
Numbering fewer than 200 in the wild, the Arabian Leopard is categorised as
Critically Endangered by the IUCN and is considered to be at an extremely high
risk of extinction in the wild.
Last year's birth of a female cub at the Arabian Leopard Breeding Centre in
Taif, Saudi Arabia, highlighted the great potential for reintroducing the
species into the wilderness and mountains around AlUla and beyond. However,
there remains a long and difficult road ahead with efforts ongoing to establish
a protected habitat to restore the population.
RCU, which is regenerating a 22,561km2 area of north-west Saudi Arabia as a
global destination for natural and cultural heritage, has committed USD 25
million to the Arabian Leopard Fund, an independent organisation created to
implement conservation projects across the leopard's home range. RCU has
designated five nature reserves covering 12,500km2 and will be working with
leading experts such as Panthera and IUCN to activate, conserve and safeguard
these protected areas with a vision that leopards might someday roam free
again.
Saudi Arabia's Council of Ministers has designated Arabian Leopard Day to take
place on 10 February each year.
Note to editors:
It is always AlUla.
We will be providing photographs this evening of the landmarks featuring
Arabian Leopard Day imagery. The landmarks will light up simultaneously at
7.10pm KSA. Further, please find collateral including a toolkit, and FAQ here
[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FlFMdSupE1PRz5FqyEKbBGuMFYgRbdAo?usp=sh
aring].
About the Royal Commission for AlUla
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by royal decree in July
2017 to preserve and develop AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and
cultural significance in north-west Saudi Arabia. RCU's long-term plan outlines
a responsible, sustainable, and sensitive approach to urban and economic
development, that preserves the area's natural and historic heritage, while
establishing AlUla as a desirable location to live, work, and visit. This
encompasses a broad range of initiatives across archaeology, tourism, culture,
education, and the arts, reflecting a commitment to meeting the economic
diversification, local community empowerment, and heritage preservation
priorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programme.
Media contact:
Jinith Joy
Consultant, Hill+Knowlton Strategies
00971 50 7219369
Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1744056/AlUla_Elephant_Rock.mp4
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1744054/Royal_Commission_for_AlUla.jpg
SOURCE: Royal Commission for AlUla
本プレスリリースは発表元が入力した原稿をそのまま掲載しております。また、プレスリリースへのお問い合わせは発表元に直接お願いいたします。
このプレスリリースには、報道機関向けの情報があります。
プレス会員登録を行うと、広報担当者の連絡先や、イベント・記者会見の情報など、報道機関だけに公開する情報が閲覧できるようになります。