LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s efforts to protect the Arabian Leopard is one of the most prominent global models, said Princess Reema bint Bandar, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States on Friday. Princess Reema’s remarks came in the presence of Prince Khalid bin Bandar, the Saudi ambassador to the UK, while launching a new book entitled, “The Arabian Leopard”, as reported by the Saudi Gazette. The book documents national efforts through the strategy of the Royal Commission for AlUla to preserve the Arabian Leopard and protect it from extinction, within the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. https://twitter.com/Gi_Saudi/status/1542510001104637955?s=20&t=4uALOfHMf... Assouline Publishing House in London hosted the book launching took ceremony during which the ambassador emphasized the Kingdom’s efforts to protect the leopard and return it to its natural habitats. Prepared and written by a number of experts in the fields of environment and nature conservation, the book contains over 100 works of art and photos. It also contains reviews through various reports and the history of the Arabian tiger, which has existed for more than 500,000 years in the Arabian Peninsula. The report adds that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the Arabian Leopard as among the most endangered animals, with only 200 alive today, due to over hunting and other reasons within the animal’s subsistence system. The strategy of the Royal Commission for AlUla to preserve the animal includes a variety of initiatives, including the expansion of the breeding program through the opening of a dedicated center in the Sharaan nature reserve and the establishment of the Arabian Leopard fund, for which the Royal Commission allocated $25 million. Meanwhile, the Saudi Press Agency added that in line with the “Green Saudi Arabia” initiative, the Royal Commission aims to convert 80 percent of AlUla’s area into nature reserves, including wild plants and animals. The Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate is moving forward with this file, as initiatives to protect the Arabian leopard have included the resettlement of wild species such as mountain ibex and human deer.