‘Uruq Bani Ma’arid

The entire property is state owned with no current or pending land claims. Members of the local community were supportive of World Heritage listing of the property at the time of inscription and this appears to remain the case currently. Strong relationships between local communities and the management authority exist, supported by the recruitment of rangers from the local community (IUCN, 2023). According to the State Party, circa 40-50% of rangers belong to the local community and existing nation-wide policy attempts to increase local employment (NCW, 2024). Other key stakeholders have been mapped and strategies of varying levels of engagement were planned and implemented at the time of inscription. According to the 2024-2030 management plan, a leadership advisory board will be established to advise the Protected Area Board, which will involve representatives of local communities. This Advisory Board will aim to ensure decisions both conform with national guidelines and local requirements towards a participatory management approach although this has not yet been achieved (NCW, 2024). Although the exact powers and influence of this advisory board is currently not yet known. Participatory engagement with communities is also expected in relation to sustainable grazing policies and management.

The property is legally designated as a protected area under the Protected Areas Law and was designated in 1996 under the highest level of national protective designation. The main legislative instrument that applies to the property (and buffer zone) is the 2020 Environment Protection Law and contains a number of articles, including on the responsibilities of the management authority, wildlife conservation and protected area (which supercedes other articles) (Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 2020). The legislation is clear in relation to responsibilities and frameworks. The legislation is executed through executive regulations focussed on specific issues, including wildlife hunting, infractions and enforcement, and licencing.

The site is managed by the National Center for Wildlife (NCW) and governed by an institutionally and financially autonomous legal entity under the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. The Center is managed by a Chief Executive Officer who reports to a Board of Directors chaired by the Minister (State Party of Saudi Arabia, 2022). Relationships between local communities and the management authority exist and are good. According to the 2024-2030 management plan, a leadership advisory board will be established to advise the Protected Area Board, which will involve representatives of local communities. This Advisory Board will aim to ensure decisions both conform with national guidelines and local requirements towards a participatory management approach although this has not yet been achieved (NCW, 2024). Although the exact powers and influence of this advisory board is currently not yet known, key stakeholders have been mapped and an engagement plan exists to modulate and rank communication with such stakeholders.

The management of the property is well integrated into local, regional and national planning systems, particularly related to protected areas and environmental legislation. The property is governed and applicable to national legislation as already noted, and also integrates into other national strategies, such as for Ecotourism Development. However, there are also local instruments, such as the management plan, which are relevant to local, site-specific needs while conforming to national guidelines.

The boundaries of the property and consistent with the boundaries of the nationally designated property area. There is a clear zoning regulation, which splits the property into four zones which would classify under various IUCN protected area categories. The largest, covering 54%, is the Wilderness Zone (the most strictly controlled area), followed by the sustainable resource use zone (44% of the property) where sustainable grazing is practiced - for which it would be important to ensure such activities stay within this zone. The other two zones are the general use zone (>0.5) and nature-cultural ecotourism zone (2%) (IUCN, 2023). The border in close proximity to the main road is largely fenced - which is important in preventing potential threats from this linear infrastructure located outside of the property.

Not Applicable

The property was inscribed in 2023 at the extended 45th Session of the World Heritage Committee. Therefore, at the time of this assessment, there has not been a large amount of time for the State Party to implement World Heritage Committee decisions and recommendations. Nonetheless, the updated management plan from 2024 is available and was submitted to UNESCO as requested in the inscription decision. According to the new management plan, a sustainable grazing plan is currently being developed in consultation with communities, as well as actions on the cement factory (including a decommisioning objective) within the management plan. Both of these actions were noted in the inscription decision. Progress will be examined in the next assessment and noted in the framework of Periodic Reporting within the World Heritage Convention. At this stage, the swift actioning of the Committee decision suggests that the implementation of World Heritage Committee decisions and recommendations is effective.

Within the updated management plan of the property, the threat of climate change is acknowledged by the management authority and is noted as one of the key sub-strategic objectives within the biodiversity conservation objective. This includes assessing the impacts of climate change on the property itself- including the production of a climate change impact assessment and other outputs (expected at the end of 2026) (NCW, 2024).

The property currently has an updated and in-date management plan until 2030. The plan notes and summarises the impacts of key threats on the values of the property, in addition to strategic objectives and operational KPIs. At the time of the assessment, it is too early to consider the implementation of the management plan, due to the recent inscription of the property and date of implementation of the updated management plan. However, the recent IUCN evaluation of the nomination of the property confirmed that a highly effective management system is in place (IUCN, 2023). Local Employment is considered and attempted when possible, including in ranger recruitment.

The management authority (National Centre for Wildlife) works closely with the Environmental Police of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of the Interior to enforce environmental and protected areas legislation. This has led to a reduction in the number of recorded illegal hunting incidents in recent years (State Party of Saudi Arabia, 2022). Rangers employed by the property are not officially empowered for law enforcement but conduct patrols, are involved in monitoring activities, etc. strict law enforcement is combined with awareness raising and engagement with wildlife hunters (although the extent to which this occurs is not known). Enforcement related measures are specifically noted as a strategic objective of the management plan in ensuring area integrity and protection.

The financing of the management of the property and the implementation of the management plan is provided by the Government of Saudi Arabia appears to be secure and adequate. In addition to the management plan, a financial sustainability plan has been created, and the development of ecotourism is expected to bring in additional finance.

Staffing of the property, primarily consists of rangers, in addition to other support staff, including mechanics, hospitality staff and management. However, it appears that currently there is no scientific or ecological staff employed by the management authority (IUCN, 2023). Given the current low pressures, the staffing is adequate, although if these are expected to increase since World Heritage Listing and the large property size, staffing could be extended further to ensure comprehensive conservation efforts. The exact number of protected area staff is also unclear, due to inconsistencies between the 2022 nomination dossier and 2024 management plan and could range between around 70 and 140 staff (State Party of Saudi Arabia, 2022; NCW, 2024). The amount of equipment (particularly the vehicle fleet) is adequate for vehicle-based patrolling. The management plan aims for the provision of specialist training and increasing ranger capacity.

Engagement and awareness raising with local communities in relation to illegal hunting and sustainable grazing and herding is conducted and planned (including in relation to the development of the sustainable grazing management plan). Education and awareness raising (including for visitors, local communities, and youth) is a key sub-objective outlined in the management plan (NCW, 2024). This objective includes the design and establishment of a visitor centre. Interpretative and zonation-related signage is not yet in place.

Currently, tourism in the property is very limited (only around 1000 visitors between 2013 and 2023 (IUCN, 2023). Although as part of World Heritage designation, this property is a key component of a national ecotourism programme. One of the key objectives of the current management plan relates to tourism and visitor management, and an associated plan is expected to be created (although it is not clear whether it is currently in use) (NCW, 2024). Currently, tourism is well managed, in a specific area of the property, and in line with international standards, and this is expected to continue despite projected increases.

According to the zonation of the property at the time of inscription, a sustainable resource use zone covers 44% of the property, in which community livestock (primarily camel) grazing and herding is permitted (as long as it does not compromise the integrity of the property and conservation and ecosystem management activities). The primary sustainable resource use enabled in this property relates to use of land and vegetation for grazing. However, grazing can be observed outside of this area and illegal grazing is a key management priority. Hunting of all animals within the property is illegal. A sustainable grazing plan is being created in consultation with local communities.

Long-term, but sporadic monitoring has been undertaken, and continues to be, at the property in relation to the iconic, megafauna of the property (Arabian Oryx, Arabian Sand Gazelle, and Arabian Mountain Gazelle)- which are key attributes for both criterion (vii) and (ix) values. However, other general monitoring systems are largely sporadic and uneven rather than systematic. Although efforts are being made to establish an effective and systematic monitoring system (including remote and aerial monitoring) including as a key objective in the current management plan.

Although research does occur on the property and its values, the property lacks a targeted research programme and research has occurred previously sporadically, on an ad-hoc basis. At the time of inscription, the management team did not include any permanent scientific or ecological expertise (IUCN, 2023). The current management plan, aims to establish a more comprehensive scientific research programme, including a permanent research-related staff position (which was expected to be in place at the end of 2024).

The majority of threats occur in close proximity to, or within, the property and therefore threats outside of the property is not fully applicable. However, a fence mitigates potential threats stemming from the road off the western side of the property and its buffer zone. Climate change threats come almost exclusively from outside of the property, although are likely to impact the values of the property in the long-term and threat abatement depends on success of global climate action.

The management system appears to be effective in addressing threats inside the property (primarily related to camel grazing and herding and illegal hunting). This is demonstrated by the low number of reporting illegal hunting incidents and grazing incursions over recent years and the inclusion of the site on the IUCN Green List. However, camel grazing and herding continues to occur in the 'Wilderness Zone' of the property, and capacity to patrol such a large area may be insufficient.