Arabian Leopard Fund and Panthera Sign MoU to Advance Arabian Leopard Conservation

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The Arabian Leopard Fund and Panthera, the global organization dedicated to wild cat conservation, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening regional and international efforts to conserve the Arabian Leopard, one of the world’s most endangered wild cat species.

The strategic partnership aims to support Arabian Leopard conservation across its natural habitat in the Arabian Peninsula through strategic and operational capacity-building programs and initiatives. The collaboration will focus on conservation science and technology, habitat protection, human-wildlife coexistence, protected area management, and conservation communications and policy.

The collaboration will also contribute to addressing key challenges that threaten the long-term sustainability of wildlife and ecosystems across the region.

The signing of the Memorandum underscores the importance of international and cross-sector collaboration and science-based conservation solutions to ensure the long-term survival of the Arabian Leopard.

Waleed Aldayel, General Manager of the Arabian Leopard Fund, said: “The signing of this Memorandum with Panthera represents an important step toward uniting global efforts to conserve the Arabian Leopard, one of the world’s most endangered species. Through this partnership, we aim to expand our impact in protecting critical habitats, raising public awareness, and supporting sustainable conservation initiatives at the international level.”

The Memorandum also reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative, particularly in advancing ecosystem protection and environmental cooperation.

Dr. Frédéric Launay, Chief Executive Officer for Panthera, said: "As the only organization exclusively dedicated to conservation of the wild cats worldwide, Panthera has been honored to support the Saudi leadership’s efforts to recover the iconic Arabian Leopard through the provision of specialized technical advice and field support.

The signing of this Memorandum with the Arabian Leopard Fund, six years after the start of our first project in the Kingdom, reflects our deep commitment to the conservation of the Arabian Leopard and our shared vision for its recovery. It also affirms the shared vision of both organizations that conservation success for the Arabian Leopard requires collaboration across borders and disciplines, the integration of science and action across its range countries, and the empowerment of a new generation of conservationists building on the knowledge and achievements of their predecessors.”