المملكة: The Kingdom records 8 new species of plants that are rare in the world

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, in cooperation with NEOM, announced the discovery and registration of eight new species of rare local plants that have limited distribution worldwide, in a step that highlights the ongoing efforts. To enhance and protect biological diversity in the Kingdom.
This discovery is one of the fruits of the “NEOM Flora” program, which was implemented in two phases that included a comprehensive study on geology, environment, soil, watershed hydrology, and land surface features in NEOM, embodied in NEOM’s commitment to preserving (95)% of natural lands; This enhances its ongoing efforts to document and protect the unique biodiversity in the region.

New types

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture for Agriculture, Engineer Ahmed bin Saleh Al-Eyada, stated that the new plant species have been registered and deposited in the National Herbarium, the Seed and Seed Center, and the Plant Germplasm Bank in Riyadh, noting the importance of this discovery in enhancing scientific knowledge of local plant diversity.
The clinic agent explained that the discovered species include, Bituminaria flaccida (Nábělek) Greuter, Cicer judaicum Boiss, Crambe hispanica L, Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC, Hyoscyamus boveanus (Dunal) Asch & Schweinf, Muscari longipes subsp Longipes, Phagnalon nitidum Fresen, Plantago sinaica (Barnéoud) Decne.

Natural heritage

While the head of the NEOM Reserve, Dr. Paul Marshall, confirmed that the reserve’s work is to protect and rehabilitate natural habitats on a large scale, through the commitment of NEOM projects to support the reserve’s efforts. In preserving nature, the “NEOM Flora” program is a unique model that highlights NEOM’s commitment to preserving and documenting the Kingdom’s natural heritage.
In a related context, the Senior Director of Environmental Architecture at NEOM, Diya Zidan, indicated that during two and a half years, (345) local plant species were documented, in addition to (28) rare species in the world, including (8) plants that had not previously been recorded in the Kingdom. .

Deep knowledge

He also praised the efforts of the NEOM team of scientists and researchers, indicating that this deep knowledge of local plants plays a major role in creating sustainable urban natural spaces in NEOM cities and projects.
It is noteworthy that the “NEOM Flora” program, which was launched in 2021, aims to study and document the environmental and natural characteristics of the NEOM region, with a focus on protecting natural resources and biodiversity, in a way that supports its vision, to become a global reserve that preserves natural heritage. Which contributes to achieving the sustainable development goals.