RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife has declared the environment on the Kingdom’s eastern coast to be overall healthy after completion of the first comprehensive assessment.
In a report carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the wildlife center said the assessment, conducted throughout 2024 and 2025 at more than 400 sites, examined a wide range of critical marine and coastal environments, including coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, and mudflats.
Launched in collaboration with international experts, the assessment employed internationally recognized field methodologies, such as underwater imaging and satellite remote sensing, to create a detailed scientific database.
“Results showed that coral reefs had a healthy cover rate of 22%, with low levels of bleaching not exceeding 2%,” said the report, adding that the dominant species observed, such as Porites and Merulina, “demonstrated resilience to harsh environmental conditions.”
Seagrass meadows were found to be stable in most areas, the report said.
