Towards Sustainable Rangeland Management in Saudi Arabia

The Year 2026 was declared the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026) by the United Nations General Assembly; it emphasizes the global concurrence to protect these important ecosystems. More than 50% of the Earth's terrestrial area is covered by rangelands that host millions of pastoralists despite serious challenges due to overgrazing, climate change and variability, coupled with changes in land use patterns. Addressing these challenges requires integrated science-based management and effective policies to enhance the long-term ecological sustainability and productivity of rangelands. This review paper offers an extensive review of rangeland management, particularly focusing on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and places Saudi rangelands in a global context, highlighting the primary factors contributing to rangeland deterioration, such as socioeconomic transformation and traditional nomadic practices disappearance. The study investigates best practices of rangelands management in the global. Saudi Arabia's rangelands cover around 146 million hectares, represent about 73% of the country's total area, and sustain more than 31 million livestock. Unfortunately, almost 70% of these fragile ecosystems are experiencing moderate to severe degradation. The review paper concluded by proposing a set of policy interventions designed to promote long-term environmental sustainability, in accordance with achieving the Saudi Green Initiative and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets such as national afforestation program, national rangelands strategy and governance and regulating camels raising farms and livestock grazing systems.