Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Illegal hunting - even of endangered species - is a particular problem. Once a Bedouin
survival strategy, many Saudis enjoy the sport and the Kingdom is still a popular hunting
destination for wealthy Gulf Arabs.
The dramatic expansion of Saudi's population, as well as overgrazing by domestic herd
animals, has led to a decline in numbers of wild ungulate species and ensured that a range
of wildlife species are now highly endangered.
On the positive side, captive breeding programs and the subsequent reintroduction of
species formerly extinct in the wild - most famously the Arabian oryx - are among the
most successful in the world.
The Kingdom's water shortages are especially worrying for the ruling family. Expens-
ive seawater desalination plants are all over the country, but the depletion of underground
aquifers continues at an alarming rate.
