Ashtaf AboArafe
Attended by Her Excellency the Egyptian Minister of Environment, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, and the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Egypt, Saleh bin Eid Al-Hussaini, the Kingdom’s Embassy in Cairo celebrated the World Day of the Arabian Leopard.
Ambassador Al-Hussaini delivered a speech on this occasion, during which he spoke about the Kingdom’s adoption of a group of pioneering initiatives that reflect its serious commitment to restoring environmental balance and protecting endangered species, most notably the “Arabian Leopard Day Initiative”, which included a group of qualitative programs in line with international standards.
He stressed that the Kingdom’s commitment to protecting the environment stems from its ambitious Vision 2030, which made environmental sustainability a fundamental focus of its programs and initiatives, indicating that celebrating this event comes as an affirmation of our responsibility towards protecting wildlife, and that the Arabian leopard is not just an endangered creature, but a symbol of our shared natural heritage in the Arabian Peninsula.
For her part, the Egyptian Minister of Environment praised the Kingdom’s initiatives and its work in the environmental field, noting that the Kingdom is the first country to direct attention to confronting the extinction of the Arabian leopard, calling on the international community to work to preserve the planet and its natural resources for future generations to enjoy.
After that, a documentary film was presented about the Arabian leopard, discussing its history, characteristics, natural habitats, and the Kingdom’s efforts to preserve it through a number of initiatives, including the establishment of the “Arabian Leopard Center” in the “Sharan” Nature Reserve, the launch of the “Global Fund for the Protection of the Arabian Leopard” in February 2019, and the launch of the “Cat Walk” in 2021, which received wide international interaction.
