Riyadh - Mubasher: The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and NEOM announced the discovery and registration of 8 new species of local plants in the Kingdom. These species are classified as rare and limited in the world.

NEOM explained in a statement today, Sunday, that the discovery is one of the fruits of the "NEOM Flora" program, which was implemented in two phases that included a comprehensive study on the sciences of geology, environment, soil, hydrology of water bodies and features of the earth's surface in NEOM.

NEOM added that this program embodies its commitment to preserving 95% of the land for nature, and enhancing ongoing efforts to document and protect the unique biodiversity in the region.

The Undersecretary of Agriculture at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (for Agriculture), Ahmed bin Saleh Al-Ayadah, stated that the new plant species were registered in the National Herbarium at the Seeds and Seedlings Center and the Plant Genetic Resources Bank in Riyadh. These species are considered a qualitative addition to the plants registered in the Kingdom, noting the efforts of the team that was able to discover and list these plant species, which will contribute to increasing knowledge about plant diversity in the Kingdom.

For his part, Paul Marshall, head of the NEOM Reserve, explained that the reserve’s work is to protect and rehabilitate natural habitats on a large scale, through NEOM projects’ commitment to supporting the reserve’s efforts to preserve nature, indicating that the NEOM Flora program is a living example of the careful planning that reflects NEOM’s efforts and commitment to preserving and enriching the Kingdom’s natural heritage.

For his part, Diaa Zidane, Senior Director of Environmental Architecture at NEOM, confirmed that 345 local plant species and 28 rare species worldwide have been documented in two and a half years, including 8 plants that have never been recorded in the Kingdom before, praising the efforts of the NEOM team of scientists and researchers. Zidane pointed out the importance of this deep knowledge of local plants and its key role in creating sustainable urban natural spaces in NEOM cities and projects.

Launched in 2021, the NEOM Flora program is one of NEOM’s key initiatives, aiming to document the region’s natural components and characteristics to preserve them and increase knowledge of local vegetation and plant species. The program also embodies NEOM’s efforts to establish a global reserve that contributes to achieving its environmental and scientific ambitions.

The eight newly discovered plant species include:

1. Bituminaria flaccida (Nábělek) Greuter

2. Cicer judaicum Wood

3. Crambe hispanica L

4. Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC

5. Hyoscyamus boveanus (Dunal) Asch

6. Schweinf, Muscari longipes subsp

7. Longipes, Phagnalon nitidum Fresen

8. Plantago sinaica (Barnéoud) Decne