United Arab Emirates, Environment and Protected Areas Authority of Sharjah

The Arabian Peninsula contains a wide diversity of sand and gravel deserts, mountains, coastal and offshore habitats and sparse wetlands. It also contains a diverse mammal fauna which comprises a mix of Arabian endemics, species with affinities to the Horn of Africa and Saharo-Sindian, Iranian-Central Asian, and Mediterranean elements.

There are 357 species of birds breeding within the assessment region, which consists of the whole of the Arabian Peninsula, plus Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, including offshore islands and the Socotra archipelago.

The Arabian Peninsula contains a diversity of desert and mountain habitats. Reptile species richness is high, with 172 species currently recognized. Among these, 89 species (52%) are endemic to the Arabian Peninsula. The conservation status of these species was assessed at a workshop held in Sharjah, UAE, 6-9 February 2012 through the application of the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria at the global and regional scales. Distribution maps were compiled for the majority of species.

A Regional Red List Workshop for the carnivores of the Arabian Peninsula took place 8-10 February 2011. The aim of the workshop was to assess the regional conservation status of terrestrial carnivores in the Arabian Peninsula. The information provided here will help to put national conservation priorities into a regional context, thus maximising the effectiveness of local and national conservation measures, and facilitating the development of integrated regional conservation strategies.