Sharaan Nature Reserve

Sharaan Nature Reserve is a protected area east of the town of AlUla in north-western Saudi Arabia. It covers a large expanse of rocky canyons, sandstone mountains and open desert plains.

The reserve was established under the programmes of the Royal Commission for AlUla, which aim to restore a desert environment that had been damaged by overgrazing and hunting. The work has included protecting vegetation and releasing wild animals that once lived in the area, such as the Arabian oryx, the Nubian ibex and gazelles. The reserve is also connected with long-term efforts to conserve the critically endangered Arabian leopard.

Sharaan is normally visited on organised tours in four-wheel-drive vehicles accompanied by guides. On these trips visitors see the rock formations and wildlife, as well as ancient rock carvings and inscriptions left by people who lived in or passed through the region. The reserve is a prominent example of how AlUla is trying to combine tourism with nature conservation, and of the wider importance of protecting desert habitats in the Arabian Peninsula.