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Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve launches first two marine patrol boats

5 min read

8 December 2024

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve extends its marine conservation capabilities with the launch of its first two patrol boats. Covering 1.8% of the Kingdom’s waters, the Reserve’s 3856km2 marine area extends to the edge of the Kingdom’s territorial waters. The Reserve’s 170km long coastline is the longest under the management of a single conservation agency in the Kingdom. It is home to 64% of the Kingdom’s coral species, 22% of its fish species, as well as Hawksbill and Green turtle populations, Spinner dolphin, Dugong, Whale shark and critical gray mangrove ecosystems.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve CEO, Andrew Zaloumis, stated “The commissioning of our new boats today ‘In Our Nature 1 and 2’ enable marine wide compliance and research capabilities. Our specialist marine rangers crewing them are born and raised in the Reserve and have an intimate knowledge of its waters. The Reserve is committed to a landscape and seascape wide restoration program, and these boats are another key step forward in that restoration journey’’.

Image: Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve CEO, Andrew Zaloumis (middle), Assistant Commander of the Border Guard Sector in Al-Wajh Region, Brigadier Fahad Sulaiman Al-Qufi (right) and Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed bin Hussein Abu Al-Hassan from the Special Forces for Environmental Security Command (left) launch the Reserve’s first two marine patrol boats

Fitted with carb-star rated motors for fuel efficiency and low emissions, the boats have been custom built to allow for long-range deep sea as well as shallow coastal work. Together with Border Guard, the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve rangers will ensure that the marine section of the Reserve, which is key to maintaining connectivity of coral and other key ecosystems and habitats along the north-west coastline of the Kingdom, continues to be protected and conserved.

Image: Reserve team along with SFES forces aboard the patrol boat ‘In Our Nature 2’ at Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve is one of just two Royal Reserves to include a marine area. The Reserve’s dedicated team of marine rangers received a specialist 6-week sea search and rescue course from Border Guard. Rangers also work alongside the NCW Fisheries Department and the National Centre of Environmental Compliance (NCEC) as part of the disaster management rescue teams patrolling for oil and chemical spills.

Mashari Marzouq, a former fisherman turned ranger, joined the Reserve in 2021. Today he is a Marine Ranger Team Leader and his work with the Reserve taught him the importance of conserving the environment, “Together, we can protect our natural heritage for present and future generations.”

From fisherman to protector: Mashari’s Red Sea mission

Hawksbill turtle on the shores of Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve

The Reserve’s marine environment is rich with biodiversity. Coral reefs stretch the entirety of the Reserve, inhabited by hundreds of species of fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Seagrass meadows sway in the gentle currents, protecting fish, and acting as foraging grounds for turtles and dugongs. Recording turtle landings and protecting turtle nesting sites with special cages is an important duty for the Reserve’s marine rangers. The Reserve is home to both the Endangered Hawksbill turtle and Endangered Green turtle and though a partnership with the General Organization for Conservation of Coral Reef and Sea Turtles in Red Sea (SHAMS) the rangers have received specialist training on turtle conservation. The Reserve’s work to protect the habitats these endangered species need will allow them to thrive.

 

About Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve

One of eight Royal Reserves, the 24,500 km² Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve stretches from the lava plains of the Harrats to the deep Red Sea in the west, connecting NEOM, the Red Sea Project, and AlUla. It is home to PIF’s Wadi Al Disah project and Red Sea Global’s Amaala.

The Reserve encompasses 15 distinct ecosystems. At just 1% of the Kingdom’s terrestrial area and 1.8% of its marine area it boasts over 50% of the Kingdom’s species, making it one of the most biodiverse protected areas in the Middle East.

The Reserve is committed to restoring and conserving the natural and cultural environment, this includes the reintroduction of 23 historically occurring native species, including the Arabian leopard, cheetah, Arabian oryx and Lappet-faced vulture, as part of a wide-ranging rewilding program.

The Reserve is overseen by the Royal Reserves Council under the chairmanship of HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and is fully integrated with Saudi Arabia’s wider sustainability and conservation programs, including the Saudi Green and Middle East Green Initiatives.