On world ranger day: Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve's rangers have completed their 50,000th patrol since operations began across the 24,500 sq km marine and terrestrial reserve.

According to Saudi Press Agency, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve CEO Andrew Zaloumis remarked on the milestone, emphasizing the importance of community involvement in conservation efforts. He stated, "Successful conservation puts communities at its heart. That's why our rangers come from within the reserve's borders. They have a generational connection to this land. What we have done is give that knowledge a formal role in Saudi Arabia's conservation story."

Over the course of four years, the ranger corps has expanded significantly, growing from 27 rangers to 231. This includes the establishment of the first female ranger corps in the Middle East. While globally, women constitute only 11% of rangers, at Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, 34% of the team are women. Collectively, these men and women have logged 50,000 patrols and 400,000 hours of active conservation work, traversing 3,980,000 km on foot and by vehicle. Each patrol contributes significantly to rebalancing the reserve's 15 fragile ecosystems and preserving its natural and cultural heritage.

Since the introduction of the reserve's specialist marine patrol boats in January 2025, dedicated sea rangers have covered nearly 55,000 km at sea. This effort is equivalent to patrolling the Kingdom's entire Red Sea coastline 30 times, with the aim of preventing illegal fishing and monitoring the reserve's coastal ecosystems. Among the 30 sea rangers, seven are women, who have all completed a dedicated swimming course to become the first female sea rangers in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia has pledged to achieve the global goal of protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030, aligning with Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by nearly 200 countries at COP15. As the Kingdom progresses towards this objective, it is estimated that the number of rangers in the Kingdom will need to increase by 46%. Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve remains committed to developing and empowering the next generation of conservation leaders.