RIYADH: After three decades of absence, the critically endangered Arabian Bream is being brought back from the brink through a joint breeding program between the National Center for Wildlife and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. The effort has achieved a 90 percent survival rate among young fish.
“This breeding program is a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s Initiative and Vision 2030 biodiversity targets,” Asaad Mohamed, Director of the aquaculture program at KAUST, told Arab News.
“This program is the first to shift from passive habitat protection to active ex-situ (off-site) population assurance for endemic freshwater fish,” he added.
The shift from passive protection to active population assurance positions the initiative as a key pillar of the Saudi Green Initiative and Vision 2030, aimed at restoring fragile wadi food webs and safeguarding the Kingdom’s aquatic heritage.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Remote-sensing technologies identified more than 21 key sites where Arabian bream and Arabian himri exist.
- Native freshwater fish are key species that act as essential indicators of water quality and wetland health.
- Reintroducing these fish helps rebuild natural food webs, supporting local populations of birds and insects.
“It directly supports the National Environment Strategy’s goal of reversing extinction risk for 30% of endangered native species by 2030 and establishes a replicable model for other threatened Arabian freshwater species,” Mohamed stated.
In April 2026, the NCW, in cooperation with KAUST, launched the Kingdom’s first national program to breed and reintroduce freshwater fish. It began with environmental assessments of fish stocks across targeted wadis, focusing on two critically endangered species: the Arabian Bream and the Arabian Himr.
The Arabian bream was first recorded in Saudi Arabia in 1983, then went unseen until its rediscovery in 2014 in Khaybar. According to Mohamed, it once ranged across western Saudi Arabia, including Wadi Khaybar and Wadi Ghras.
“Habitat has shrunk by an estimated 82-88 percent over the past three decades due to climate-driven episodic drought,” he explained.
Aramco biodiversity models have ranked the species as the Kingdom’s top conservation priority since 2021 due to its limited habitat and critical status.
“The breeding program is based on these assessments, recommendations, and data regarding the status of these species, which call for immediate intervention to preserve and save these species,” Ibrahim Al-Harthi, senior specialist of fish and crustaceans at the National Center for Wildlife Development, told Arab News.
Mohamed added that 2023-24 surveys recorded fewer than 2,500 mature Arabian bream across five confirmed locations. Remote sensing has identified more than 21 key sites where the species persists. Early 2026 expeditions targeted Wadi Al-Bint and Wadi Al-Ghars, selected for stable water quality and confirmed historical presence.
“The survival stage in the wild differs from the survival rate in the rearing hatchery where natural conditions are controlled,” Al-Harthi said.
“In nature, few fish eggs and young survive due to exposure to several factors, including predation. The success rate in hatchery conditions after hatching is high, between 80-90 percent,”Al-Harthi stated.
Mohamed detailed that “target survival as achieved is 90 percent under controlled RAS conditions. In contrast, natural survival in the wild is typically 3-8 percent due to predation, flow variation, desiccation, and temperature spikes.”
Following site surveys, researchers collected broodstock from Wadi Khaybar, including the Al-Thamad Historic Dam and a pond in Wadi Al-Ghars.
A school of adult Arabian Bream at the KAUST aquaculture facility. (KAUST)
“Regarding the Arabian Bream, approximately 80 fish were collected from their natural environments, and at this stage of the breeding program, there are more than 2,000 young fish (fingerlings),”Al-Harthi stated.
“Regarding the Arabian Himr, we are still in the stage of collecting the broodstock; in the spring season, approximately, the broodstock will be collected with the beginning of the coming month of May,” he added.
Al-Harthi emphasized the program’s role within Saudi Arabia’s broader biodiversity strategy.
“The National Biodiversity Strategy in the Kingdom emphasizes the protection of endangered species and the restoration of their natural populations through breeding and reintroduction programs within suitable habitats, contributing to the restoration of ecological balance and enhancing the sustainability of ecosystems,” he explained.
“This applies to endangered freshwater fish, so that this important component of the internal freshwater environments in the Kingdom is not lost,” Al-Harthi said.
A larval Arabian Bream shortly after hatching at the KAUST aquaculture facility. (KAUST)
One challenge has been developing feeding protocols for wild-caught broodstock.
“The primary challenge is that these species are being studied for the first time, and it is unknown what the appropriate percentages of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and others are for a healthy life for these species.”
The project is developing specialized feed with balanced nutrition to support optimal growth. Beyond recovery, experts say reintroducing these fish will improve water quality and support bird and insect populations.
“The reintroduction of Arabian breams is expected to generate cascading ecological benefits across wadi ecosystems,” Mohamed explained.
“This species is a native functional specialist, and its absence has likely contributed to observed ecosystem degradation,” he added.
Al-Harthi noted: “Freshwater fish are among the important, key species and are considered a vital indicator of water quality and the health of the wetland ecosystem in the Kingdom.”
“The reintroduction of freshwater fish is not limited to increasing their numbers, but rather improving the functions of the ecosystems,” Al-Harthi stated.
A juvenile Arabian Bream from the KAUST hatchery is a part of a 2,000-strong population that will be used to re-establish the species in its native wadis by 2027. (KAUST)
“This reflects positively on biodiversity and the stability and balance of the ecosystem,” Al-Harthi said.
Ongoing ecological studies will determine release sites and numbers. Mohamed said reintroductions are planned for early 2027, following key milestones.
“The first experimental releases are planned for late 2026 early 2027, contingent upon: (a) successful production of ≥2,000 F1 juveniles per species (Already achieved), (b) completion of habitat restoration at target release sites (under data processing), and (c) securing regulatory approvals from NCW,” Mohamed added.
Al-Harthi stated: “The Arabian Bream (Hadiah fish) will be reintroduced in sites from which it disappeared, which increases the range of distribution and the area of occupancy according to the Red List criteria, which moves this species to lower levels of threat.”
Alongside breeding, authorities are addressing long-term threats through integrated conservation management. With a 90 percent survival rate and more than 2,000 juveniles produced, the program has turned research into a practical tool for restoring endangered freshwater fish — and, by 2027, the ecological balance of Saudi Arabia’s wadis.
