Rare And Endangered Plants In Saudi Arabia Addressed At NCVC Workshop

The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification held a workshop titled "Rare and Endangered Plants in Saudi Arabia," bringing together researchers, academics, government representatives, and national companies to support national scientific work, strengthen plant conservation efforts, and align with environmental sustainability objectives across Saudi Arabia.

Participants discussed how protecting rare species contributes to wider ecological stability and national development goals. The workshop also sought to brief specialists and stakeholders on the National List of Rare and Endangered Plants, and to explain how this reference can guide planning, monitoring, and decision-making for sensitive plant habitats.

The National List of Rare and Endangered Plants was prepared by NCVC after a wide review of existing information sources. The centre inventoried, checked, and combined earlier lists, then refined them into one national reference that is continually updated and improved under NCVC supervision.

According to NCVC, the list is designed as a scientific tool for specialists and concerned organisations. It supports work on species protection, habitat management, and research. It also helps align national conservation practices with international standards, while keeping the focus on plant diversity specific to Saudi Arabia’s different environments.

The workshop addressed several scientific themes, including an introduction to lists of endemic, rare, and endangered plants. It reviewed the concept of rarity, explained how rarity criteria are applied nationally and globally, and included sessions on endemic rare species and rare non-endemic plants threatened within Saudi Arabia.

Specialists from Saudi universities, government agencies, and companies such as NEOM and Red Sea Global participated, highlighting the importance of cross-sector cooperation. Alongside this, NCVC continues work to develop, protect, and monitor vegetation cover, rehabilitate degraded areas, detect encroachments, combat illegal woodcutting, and manage rangelands, forests, and national parks in support of sustainable development and the Saudi Green Initiative.

With inputs from SPA