RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers has included the Ras Hatiba and Blue Holes marine areas on the Kingdom’s national list of reserves, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.

The move reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to protecting biodiversity and advancing sustainable development goals under Vision 2030, the SPA reported.

Mohammed Qurban, CEO of the National Center for Wildlife, said the decision followed extensive biological, natural, and social studies confirming the two reserves’ unique biodiversity, and economic and tourism value.

Located northwest of Jeddah, Ras Hatiba covers 5,715 sq. km and features coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds — key habitats for green turtles, dugongs, whales, dolphins, and sharks.

The Blue Holes areas are rich in marine life, including turtles, fish, mammals, and invertebrates. Their discovery was first announced in 2022 after 20 such formations were found along the southern Red Sea coast.

With the addition of these two protected areas, the Kingdom’s nature reserves now cover 16.1 percent of its territory, up from 6.5 percent, and moving closer to the national goal of 30 percent by 2030.