NATURAL WORLD

Saudi Arabia’s deserts may seem devoid of animal life, but there are far more living creatures than you would expect. Many of the country’s mammals have adapted to the hot, dry climate by leading a nocturnal life, and are therefore seldom seen. Herbivores commonly go out at dawn and dusk to graze on the sparse vegetation, avoiding the harsher hours of sun. The animals have adapted to cope with the lack of available water by recycling fluids, consuming the dew on plants or the body fluids of their prey.

Because of its position at a migratory crossroads, Saudi Arabia is home to a wide variety of bird species. Over the last few decades, the diversity has surged mainly due to the increase in cultivated and well-irrigated gardens, parks and compounds across the country. Approximately 499 different species of bird have been recorded, including 401 seen regularly, 11 seen rarely and 87 species recorded on less than 10 occasions. Birds have been spotted across the Kingdom's multitude of landscapes and while sightings are relatively scarce in the Empty Quarter, approximately 145 species of birds, mostly transient migrants, are found here. Each year, around 401 authentic or migrating species are thought to take to the Saudi Arabian skies.

The hundreds of plant species growing in Saudi Arabia are hardy survivors of their inhospitable environment. Perennials are found all year round, although they can become insignificant during the hot, dry summer, with fewer leaves. Some plants even withdraw underground.

Deserts all over the world abound with reptiles and Saudi Arabia is no exception with 76 species of terrestrial lizards, 41 snake varieties and five different types of turtles recorded in the surrounding seas. Lizards are the most often encountered reptile. While common house geckos are the only gecko species found exclusively near human residences, other kinds of gecko live in the sand dunes or rocky areas and are mostly active at night. Like skinks, lizards belonging to the agamid or lacertid families are often seen foraging or sunning themselves in the daytime.

More than 800 species of wild flower have been recorded across the Arabian Peninsula. Most are seen only in the springtime (mainly January to March) or after heavy rainfall throughout the autumn and winter. During the wetter months, Saudi Arabia's deserts, mountains and gravel plains explode with leafy shrubs and greenery, and blossom with flowers and fruits. Rainfall in the Asir Mountains can continue to nurture the perennial plants in the surrounding areas long after the rains have stopped.

The desert and mountains of Saudi Arabia are home to several types of arthropods, including arachnids, such as spiders and scorpions; acarids, such as mites; and the group of multi-legged arthropods – known as myriapods – which includes the centipede. Consisting of millions of different species, arthropods are the largest and most diverse phylum in the animal kingdom and research is continuing with new information emerging all the time.

Marine life in Saudi Arabia’s waters is incredibly varied and bountiful. The warm, shallow waters of the Arabian Gulf have nurtured extremely tolerant coral species, which have adapted to high salinity and abrupt temperature changes. Sea cows, or dugong, graze on seagrass beds and sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. The deeper and cooler waters of the Red Sea are home to an enormous variety of species, including whales, dolphins, hammerhead sharks and sea snakes, and boast a diversity of fish unmatched anywhere in the world. Here, desert smoothly transitions into coastal beaches littered with shells and crab mounds.

Saudi Arabia's geomorphological history and harsh climate have led to geological wonders including extraordinary rock formations, volcanic craters, mineral rich mountains, caves and wadis. The geology can be divided into two main regions: the Arabian Shield and the Arabian Shelf or Platform. The Arabian Shield is older and was part of the African continent before rifting caused the Red Sea to form between them 35 million years ago. It's composed of igneous and metamorphic complexes like basalt, gabbro, granite, shale, schist and marble. The Arabian Shelf is younger and covered in sedimentary deposits of sandstone, limestone and huge quantities of sand.

Saudi Arabia has an amazing number of trees for such an arid country. These are mainly scattered over large areas, but sometimes they grow close together, forming small forests. The fragile flora within the Kingdom's harsh environments may sometimes appear dry and lifeless, but nature has developed numerous ways to sustain life in dry, scorching climates. From growing long taproots to ingenious methods of seed dispersal and symbiotic or parasitic relationships, plants can thrive with the support of other species. Desert flora possesses many fascinating mechanisms to find and retain water and nutrients.