Umm al-Qamari Islands Reserve

Umm Al-Qamari Islands Reserve is one of the nature reserves in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, located southwest of Al-Qunfudhah governorate on the coast of the Red Sea, among four reserves in the Makkah province.

It was established during the reign of King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz in 1988, and it is the third smallest reserve supervised by the National Center for Wildlife as it takes up an area of 403 km². It is divided into two protection areas: The first is for wild animals and marine life, and the second is for the environment and the trees.

Umm Al-Qamari Islands Reserve consists of two islands: Umm al-Qamari al-Braniah and Umm al-Qamari al-Fuqaniah. It was named after the European turtle birds because of its abundance on them, particularly during the migration season. Additionally, it is home to many types of seabirds, shorebirds, and wild birds, such as the osprey, snowy egret, great white egret, and the African collared doves.

The coral reefs of Umm al-Qamari al-Braniah Island are characterized by their diversity and the fact that most of them are alive, making them distinct to study. Its marine life has a huge diversity in coral reefs and marine invertebrates. A wide range of plants lives among these two islands such as Salvadora Persica, Suaeda, Cactus, Cyperus, and Atriplex, which also abound along the coasts.

The surface of the two islands is made up of reef limestone with an average height of three m above sea level, and white coastal sands.

In addition to its role in protecting marine life, especially fish, from overfishing and overexploitation, Umm Al Qamari Islands Reserve has many other key roles, including protecting coral reefs and marine life from damage and pollution, revitalizing environmental tourism, and providing citizens and residents with a suitable environment for picnic.