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:

https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/9015551-inaugural-arabian-leopard-day-kicks-off-spotlight-saving-the-species/

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