Madinah, February 24, 2022, SPA -- The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has been officially announced as a government member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This will support RCU’s strategy to conserve nature and wildlife by creating and activating nature reserves to protect ecosystems, fragile habitats and biodiversity; restoring and enhancing degraded ecosystems and ecological processes; and reintroducing native species. The RCU was granted government membership status in recognition of its commitment to conservation. RCU will now be able to not only draw upon the specialist knowledge of 18,000 IUCN experts, but also provide information on the results obtained from its work in AlUla to a global audience through, for example, attendance at the IUCN annual meetings and quadrennial congresses. CEO of RCU Amr AlMadani, commented: The membership will contribute to supporting the RCA's efforts to preserve the natural heritage and wildlife through a series of initiatives that have created an active presence for us in this system. This announcement is a testament to AlUla’s potential for natural heritage and wildlife conservation. It demonstrates the increasing international recognition that RCU, undertaking a project of immense scale, is a key player in global conservation. We look forward to the increased exchange of knowledge between our two organisations so that the flora and fauna of AlUla can be restored to their former glory through cutting-edge approaches. Chief of Special Initiatives & Partnerships at RCU Abeer AlAkel said: “Mutually beneficial partnerships are essential to RCU’s strategy. They create a platform for acquiring knowledge, establishing alliances with key scientific stakeholders, expanding our expertise and co-creating initiatives.” “I am very pleased to welcome the Royal Commission for Al Ula to the IUCN family,” said Dr Bruno Oberle, IUCN Director General. “Counting RCU among our Members will enhance IUCN’s presence in the region, and further strengthen the Union’s capacity to promote the good governance of the world’s natural resources and environment”, he added. For his part, Director of the IUCN Regional Office for West Asia Dr Hany El Shaer said: “We are proud that the Royal Commission for AlUla has joined IUCN. Their accession constitutes a qualitative addition to the West Asia Office , which in turn will contribute to the protection and conservation of nature in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in particular and the West Asia Region in general”. --SPA 15:24 LOCAL TIME 12:24 GMT 0014 www.spa.gov.sa/w1696309