Awad Al-Shahri: The Kingdom has 500 registered bird species. Asir alone has 300 species, including rare species, most notably the endangered Asir magpie. Tree diversity is one of the Kingdom’s features. Vision 2030 aims to plant 10 billion trees
He was attracted by the pristine environment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and was fascinated by its rare treasures that are rarely found anywhere else in the world. He set out with his lens to capture shots that are rarely seen in this field, and his eyes, which are passionate about nature, captured rare species of rare birds threatened with extinction in the Kingdom, earning him the title of “Pearl Hunter” with merit.
His career deserved to win many honors, as he was honored with the Distinguished Environmental Activist Award by the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Water for the year 24, as well as by the Municipality of Al-Khobar Governorate. Some of his photos and short films won in some photography competitions, and some of his works were published in specialized magazines such as National Geographic Arabia magazine. His own film “The Brown Eagles of Asir” won first place in the Environmental Awareness Competition.
Saudi photographer Awad Al-Shahri, a member of the Bird Protection Society in the Kingdom, tells about his experience in an interview with “Tafa’ul” saying: “The beginning was from the passion for the concept of the image and the extent to which it provides us with a depth of understanding of what memories and the past mean to us. The image is a tool that can stop time, and through it we can return to the past and remember moments, no matter what they are.”
Al-Shahri considers the environment in which he was born and raised to be the main reason and motivation for this field, as he was born in the southern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is a region with a charming and diverse nature that abounds with natural life and various types of creatures. It is unique and distinguished by what is not found in other regions.
The Saudi photographer says that Asir is a mountainous region that includes valleys, forests, and pristine natural areas. It also includes slopes and extended slopes that help in the presence of a large number of creatures and plants. It includes a biological and fungal diversity that we rarely see in other places.
Al-Shahri also reveals the rare treasures of the Kingdom, saying that the number of birds registered in the Kingdom is close to 500 species, and in Asir alone there are more than 300 species. There are rare species of birds in Asir that are not found anywhere else in the Kingdom or even the world, most notably the Asir magpie, which is threatened with extinction, as well as the Arabian woodpecker, the Arabian waxbill, and the Arabian jay.
Regarding the role of the “Bird Protection Society” in the Kingdom, of which he is a member, Al-Shahri says that the society aims to protect birds in the Kingdom and spread awareness of their importance and role in the ecological balance, as it signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Center for Wildlife Development. The society also participated in several workshops, the most important of which was the workshop on activating the Wetlands Agreement in the Kingdom. In the future, the society aims to sign a number of partnerships and agreements with many parties to activate its role and contribute to achieving its goals.
Regarding the nature of wildlife in the Kingdom, Al-Shahri says: The Kingdom is viewed as a desert area devoid of any manifestations of wildlife and nature, while it is the opposite. What has been observed and seen proves that it is rich in diverse natural and wildlife. The geography of the Kingdom is diverse between deserts, mountains and beaches, and this geographical diversity is followed by a natural and wildlife diversity.
The Kingdom is considered one of the migration paths of birds that pass over its skies every year. In the deserts, there are specific types of birds, while other types breed on mountaintops and others wade in wet areas and shallow beaches. This diversity is rarely found, and the reason for this is, of course, the geographical diversity in the Kingdom.
The environments of the Kingdom vary, so the trees vary according to the environment. Deserts and sandy areas contain trees that can withstand high temperatures and thirst, such as Sidr and Samr, while the mountains are covered with various types of perennial trees, such as juniper and acacia. Other trees are spread around the beaches and bays, such as mangroves. The Kingdom seeks, through its ambitious vision 2030, to plant ten billion trees on its lands.
