The General Secretariat for the Conservation of the Arabian Oryx, hosted by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, has launched its revamped website www.arabianoryx.org, in a bid to enhance co-operation efforts across the region to help protect the species.

 

The enhanced website aims to provide researchers, members of the General Secretariat and the general public with a platform to connect on matters related to the Arabian Oryx.

 

The bi-lingual website features the latest Arabian Oryx statistics, history, physical characteristics, diet, behavior, habitat, and distribution range and conservation initiatives in the region.

 

Its interactive blogs and forums allow users to engage and contribute to the discussions about this iconic species.

 

Dr Majid Sultan Al Qassimi, Director of Terrestrial Biodiversity at the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), said on Sunday that the UAE considers restoring Arabian Oryx herds to their native habitat a priority that is in line with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s Arabian Oryx Reintroduction Project which was launched in 2007.

 

“This website has been designed to assist countries including Kingdom of Bahrain, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Syria, the UAE, and Yemen, all of which have committed to unifying their efforts to protect the Arabian Oryx. It will provide them with updates on the status of their Arabian Oryx populations, and allow them to share their conservation projects and initiatives,” he added.

 

The General Secretariat for the Conservation of the Arabian Oryx is a regional initiative aimed at coordinating and unifying the conservation efforts of the Arabian Oryx in the Arabian Peninsula. So far, the region’s conservation efforts have achieved international recognition and have resulted in a major success for the species, when its threat category was changed from “endangered” to “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2011.