AlUla: The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Arabian Leopard Fund have entered a strategic partnership with the Smithsonian Institution to strengthen global conservation efforts for the critically endangered Arabian leopard on Thursday.
As part of this international collaboration, RCU will send a pair of Arabian leopards to the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in the United States, advancing a scientific initiative aimed at protecting the species, enhancing genetic diversity, and raising global awareness.
The Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) is among the rarest big cats on Earth, with an estimated wild population of just around 120 individuals.
Of these, only about 20 are thought to inhabit the rugged southwestern mountain ranges of Saudi Arabia, primarily in the Asir and Hijaz regions.
In AlUla, the RCU's conservation facility housed 27 Arabian leopards as of last year.
Through this agreement with the Smithsonian, the RCU hopes to amplify its breeding program, increase the species' survival prospects, and establish a population outside the leopard's natural habitat.
The initiative also aims to facilitate cutting-edge scientific research and create the first-ever Arabian leopard exhibit in the United States, fostering greater public engagement and support for conservation.
This cross-continental partnership represents a major step in Saudi Arabia’s broader efforts to preserve its native biodiversity and reflects the Kingdom’s growing leadership in global environmental protection and species recovery.
