Saudi Arabia

Onager

Asiatic wild asses return to Saudi Arabia after 100 years

It’s been a century since an onager or Asiatic wild ass was last seen in Saudi Arabia. But in April this year, seven onagers were relocated from neighboring Jordan into one of Saudi Arabia’s nature reserves. One of the onagers has even birthed a female foal since then. Saudi Arabia was historically home to the Syrian wild ass , an onager subspecies that was hunted into extinction in the 1920s. But with the Syrian onager gone forever, it’s closest living relative, the Persian onager from Jordan, “was deemed the best alternative sub-species with which to re-populate the Middle East.”

Aerial view of large solar farm

Qatar and Saudi Arabia announce four mammoth new solar projects totaling 7.5GW

Four massive new solar projects are under development in the Middle East, with a 2GW solar project proposed for Qatar, and three projects worth a cumulative 5.5GW securing financing in Saudi Arabia. State-owned petroleum company QatarEnergy will build a 2GW solar power plant, doubling the country’s total solar capacity in one fell swoop. Saudi Arabian energy giant ACWA Power has also announced that it has secured financing for three large-scale solar PV projects worth a total of $5.5 billion USD.