10/10/2025
17:00 - 18:00
IUCN Arabia
Session with interpretation
Why attend
Discover how AlUla is pioneering ecosystem restoration in arid lands moving from vision to large-scale action. Learn about innovative governance, sustainable financing, native species rehabilitation, and community engagement. Participants will gain replicable tools and lessons aligned with global restoration standards and applicable to dryland contexts worldwide.
Session Description
This session showcases AlUla’s comprehensive restoration journey, developed with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and IUCN, and aligned with the SER Principles and IUCN Restoration Standards. The discussion will open with Prof. Cara Nelson, who sets the global context of ecological restoration with a focus on arid lands. Shauna Rees will present AlUla’s Strategy and Execution Plan and its alignment with the Saudi Green Initiative, while Sami Almalki introduces RCU’s conservation work. Tariq Abu Taleb will showcase a community-based case study and how lessons on participation and stewardship can be applied in AlUla. Pragyan Raj Pokhrel will frame the session within IUCN’s global restoration programme, linking AlUla to global networks and standards. The session concludes with a moderated discussion on successes, challenges, and pathways to scale restoration in dryland regions across West Asia and beyond.Organised by
West Asia Region
Partners
Moderator
Speaker
