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Protected areas: refuges of biodiversity

While the country currently has several dozen protected areas under various statutes, it intends to increase this score. As part of the Saudi Green Initiative, it has promised to create new protected areas so that they represent 20% of the territory.
Among them, the Asir National Park covers an area of 6,500 km2, covering both mountainous terrain and the marine ecosystems of the Red Sea. Varying from sea level to 3,200 m altitude, and covering numerous ecosystems ranging from mangroves to the coastal desert plains of Tihama, the park is home to a remarkable diversity of species. There are 300 species of birds, including 10% of raptors.
Al Ahsa Uqair National Recreation Area is another treasure: the largest oasis in the world. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the oasis is lined with 2.5 million palm trees and has been inhabited for centuries.
The Al-Khunfah protected area, located in the north of the kingdom, is one of the largest, covering nearly 20,000 km2. It is home to a typical desert ecosystem, but its vulnerability makes its protection all the more precious. As elsewhere in the region, its flora is mostly short and consists of a few clumps of plants. One can observe in particular Tamarix aphylla, a species particularly adapted to the desert in which it grows in spite of its salinity.

Eco-city in the desert: utopia or dystopia?

Imagine a futuristic city, in the heart of the desert, where the inhabitants would live in a 170 km long line, surrounded by two walls, and organized in several floors. Artificial moon, phosphorescent sand beach, flying cabs, trains among the fastest in the world, 100% renewable energy for 0 carbon ... These are some of the promises of The Line, wanted by Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salmane. It will be part of the future Neom zone, which will aim to challenge Silicon Valley as part of the Vision 2030 project, which aims to organize the economic future of Saudi Arabia, when oil resources are exhausted.
But isn't this a little too good to be true, while environmental protection associations around the world are concerned about the colossal use of resources of such a project, in a desert that has none, and of such a massive construction site in such a vulnerable environment? For the moment, the project's deadline is constantly being delayed, while many of its players are withdrawing and investors are still being sought to finance the several hundred billion dollars needed.