Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve

2023

The seventh Saudi site registered on the World Heritage List.  It is located in the south of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the western edge of the Empty Quarter Desert (Rub' al Khali), which is the largest sandy area on Earth.  The reserve includes a number of land formations and natural wildlife habitats, including high sand dunes and limestone plateaus.  It is divided into three areas: the main area of the reserve, the area where controlled grazing is allowed, and the hunting area.  The area was the habitat of the Arabian oryx before its extinction from the wild and the rest of it was selected to reintroduce oryx that had been raised within a captive breeding program.