Why is it Green Listed?

The establishment of Sharaan nature Reserve (SNR) was officially declared by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in spring 2019. As the County’s first fully Protected Area, SNR is considered a vital first step along the road to restoring landscapes, habitats and wildlife populations across the whole of the County. SNR is located in the central-eastern area of AlUla County. The reserve, is bounded by roads to the north (Highway 8806), east (secondary road) and south (Highway 70), and is crossed by national Highway 375 near its western extremity. At its closest point it lies less than 20 km north-east of AlUla town. Major topographical features / areas bounding SNR include: Mada’in Saleh Plain to the west; Harrat Uwayrid to the north-west; AlGhrameel desert to the north and east; and the Nakhlah Highlands to the south. SNR consists of four key topographical components, including three distinguishable canyonlands:
• Sharaan Canyons. The Sharaan Canyons, from which SNR derives its name, cover the central-eastern area and are largest component of the Protected Area.
• Eastern Canyons. West of the Sharaan Canyons is a north-south aligned band of canyonlands the northern part of which is locally referred to as the Rukab Mountains.
• Al Majaz and the Eastern Canyons are divided by a ca. 2 km wide and 30 km-long linear plain known locally as Al Majaz
• Madakhil. Madakhil is smallest component of the Protected Area forming its north-western spur. Madakhil is an area of beautiful sandstone canyonlands which merges into the eastern edge of Harrat Uwayrid and is separated from the Eastern Canyons by Highway 375.

Key Achievements

Conservation

• Given the fact that the reserve was declared as protected area only in 2019, with conservation structures set up basically after 2020 when the global Covid-19 pandemic ended, it is too early to measure success, but some indicators are providing very positive results that, if confirm the same trend over the next six years, will guarantee the achievement of the stated success. Among these we can mention: Survival rate of reintroduced animals (927 animals have been reintroduced to Sharaan and Wadi Nakhlah nature reserves, majority to Sharaan NR) and their survival rate is 98 to 100 %; the coverage of vegetation in selected locations (through both reforestation and removal of threats) is expanding, and extensive surveys have led to the discovery of new species of reptiles for science.

Good governance

• Sharaan Nature Reserve is under management of the Royal Commission. This institution was given the authority to manage this protected area through a Royal Decree
• RCU has the long-term financial and institutional means to run the day to day operations in Sharaan NR ensured; the work is organized through the expert and administrative staff appointed to run the reserve within Nature Reserve sector in Wildlife and Natural Heritage department and through the 48 rangers that are subcontracted by RCU to monitor the reserve
• RCU is developing Advisiory committees that will be a baseline for a more participatory and inclusive engagement of civil society, especially the local communities; special Advisory Committee will be established for Sharaan NR
  

Community benefits

• Livestock and Grazing Sustainability Plan – The Nature-Based Tourism Plan Livestock, together with agriculture, which does not seem to be affected by the PA, is the primary source of income for the local communities. The Livestock and Grazing Sustainability Plan (LGSP) has been designed to provide local communities with secure access to grazing grounds through a zonation system and practices that will allow small-scale pastoralists to thrive in a way that integrates the need to restore the vegetation and target ecosystems. In the Sharaan NR, this is especially important, as some small-scale pastoralists from neighbouring communities (located outside the limits of the reserve) have seen their access to the area restricted by the fencing. The LGSP is the primary tool to compensate them for their switch to other places.
• The Nature-Based Tourism Plan has been designed to create new jobs through sustainable tourism while protecting and enhancing the natural values on which it will depend. This will be an integral part of the plans for Sharaan, for which RCU is implementing ambitious programmes in terms of nature conservation (especially through the reintroduction programme) and responsible tourism development.