The General Secretariat for the Conservation of the Arabian Oryx, in cooperation with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and the Zoo and Aquarium Public Institution in Al Ain, recently organised a two-day workshop to establish regional disease control and management guidelines for the Arabian oryx. Representatives from the countries where Arabian oryx used to historically roam (otherwise known as range states) discussed conducting studies to determine the relationship between genetics and various diseases, and how they can work together to effectively respond to disease outbreaks.

The ‘Regional Workshop on Veterinary Management of the Arabian oryx in the Range States’ was held in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and was attended by 38 veterinarians and biologists from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq.

Currently, an inter-governmental body The Coordinating Committee for the Conservation of the Arabian Oryx (CCCAO) oversees the coordination of conservation efforts for this species within the Arabian Peninsula. The CCCAO is chaired by H.E Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), and comprises of a number of member Arab governments, including: Bahrain, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The committee members have committed to unifying and intensifying efforts to conserve this species, which once roamed freely across an area stretching from the south of Syria to the Omani and Yemeni borders with Saudi Arabia.

The General Secretariat for the Conservation of the Arabian oryx held the workshop in Al Ain to identify the different aspects of veterinary care that need to be considered when transferring or reintroducing the Arabian oryx in the range states, and to begin work on an annual statistics bulletin to monitor the diseases that afflict herds in the range states.

It was agreed to prepare a booklet defining the various diseases affecting the Arabian oryx, which will focus on preventive veterinary care and how to prepare contingency plans for the effective management of disease outbreaks.

The workshop participants stressed on the importance of encouraging the range states to conduct necessary studies needed to determine the relationship between genetics and various diseases. They also stressed on the need to facilitate information exchange amongst the network of professionals involved in responding to disease outbreaks.

The Arabian oryx was once listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red list of Endangered Species as ‘extinct in the wild’. However, IUCN just recently updated this listing to ‘vulnerable’, following the success of global conservation programmes conducted, such as those led by the CCCAO range states.

H.E. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Chairperson of the General Secretariat for the Conservation of the Arabian oryx said: “The Arabian oryx is an emblematic species in the Middle East and has quickly become a global symbol for successful conservation. Its uniquely adapted physiology was able to thrive for generations in a harsh environment of high temperatures and limited access to water and nourishment. Yet, with increasing pressure from human-related activities, this creature found it difficult to stay alive.

“Since then, countries have come together to save the Oryx from extinction. Captive breeding and reintroductions in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and other countries in the Middle East have persisted - unabated - for nearly 40 years, and continue to gather momentum. With the leadership of government environmental agencies in the Middle East, together with the representative scientists and conservationists, the Arabian oryx has managed to survive, and thrive,” she added.

Forty years of reintroduction programmes have demonstrated the possibilities of devoted, organised, well-planned, and well-funded conservation efforts. “This is an excellent accomplishment for which we can be proud of, but we must continue to work together,” she said.

Moving from ‘extinct in the wild’ to ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List is a rare event in conservation science - especially given the continued and pervasive threats of habitat destruction, invasive species, and climate change.

Al Mubarak added: “Conservation is an on-going battle fought on a daily basis, and therefore, we must sustain our efforts for Arabian oryx reintroduction throughout the Middle East.”

H.E. Ghanem Al Hajri, General Manager of Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort (AWPR) said “The Arabian oryx is our flagship species and part of our institutional commitment to arid land antelope conservation-whether it’s the Saharan gazelle and Addax, the endangered Hirola antelope from Kenya or the Scimitar-horned oryx. We can only conserve these icons of the world through dedication and strong partnerships.

“It is evident that we collectively have the expertise to save the Arabian oryx through continued partnerships and collaborations. Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort is ready to play its part and more importantly, we look forward to learning from the many experts participating in this, and future, regional meetings,” he added.

The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was one of the first conservationists to become concerned about the diminishing wild Arabian oryx population. In 1968, he ordered the capture of the remaining four known animals in the wild and instructed the Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort (known then as Al Ain Zoo) to start a captive breeding programme. After the development of Sir Bani Yas Island, Sheikh Zayed started another captive breeding programme with three female and two male Oryx, and today the island has a thriving population of Arabian oryx which can be viewed by visitors.

The Arabian Oryx Release Programme was launched in 2007 under the patronage of H.H General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Its five-year plan (2007- 2012) aims to reintroduce the Arabian oryx into areas of its natural habitat in the UAE, with a target of 100 heads of Arabian oryx to be released each year over the five year period. The programme, which is overseen by EAD, aims to reintroduce the Arabian oryx into large sanctuaries within the areas they lived in the past and create a self-contained population that can roam freely in their natural habitat under effective and long-term management. The Arabian Oryx Protected Area, established in 2007 in Umm Al Zamool, Abu Dhabi, is now home to another 155 Arabian Oryx, monitored via GPS and satellite tracking, across a protected area of 8,900 square kilometres.

Proudly, UAE is home for a large herd of Arabian Oryx in the world. This spectacular accomplishment wasn't to be attainable without the precious gift from the Late H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (May Allah rest his soul in peace) as he was the initiator for the firsts conservation and captive breeding programs on national and regional scales. Back from just being at the edge of extinction; 7000 Arabian Oryx now exist at their historical range states.

The CCCAO was founded in January 2000. Its mission is to support all initiatives to protect and conserve the Arabian oryx, to agree regional criteria and standards, and to coordinate efforts between range states.