RIYADH: Saudi Arabia unveiled an ambitious plan to improve animal welfare at this year’s Saudi Pet & Vet Expo in Riyadh.

The initiative, known as the Executive Plan for Animal Welfare 2026-30, was announced by Bader Mohammed Alshaer, manager of the government’s animal welfare department.

It aims to strengthen animal protection through five pillars: public awareness, laws and regulations, veterinary healthcare, improved services, and cooperation between government bodies, private companies, nonprofit organizations and volunteers.

The exhibition, held at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center under the patronage of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, brought together animal welfare advocates, veterinary specialists, businesses and pet enthusiasts.

As well as providing a showcase for the latest veterinary and pet care products, it also provided a platform for animal welfare advocates to raise concerns about abandonment, uncontrolled breeding and the challenges of providing adequate shelter for stray animals.

Among them was Nouf Al-Mandeel, co-founder of the rescue shelter, Happy Paws.

“We are a shelter that was founded in 2020. We have saved 150 cats and 100 dogs and it’s ongoing,” she told Arab News.

The organization offers adoption opportunities, volunteering initiatives and sponsorship programs that allow members of the public to support rescued animals. It also works with pet food suppliers, allowing supporters to buy food that is then delivered directly to the shelter.

Al-Mandeel said that the shelter was launched in response to a growing problem.

“It came out of a problem that we’re trying to solve, which is a lot of cats and dogs being on the streets, being hit by cars, being stuck,” she said.

What began as an individual rescue effort developed into a sanctuary when she found herself having to pay for a lot of veterinary boarding. By renting a farm instead she was able to provide her rescues with their own safe spaces.

Al-Mandeel highlighted the need for trap-neuter-return programs which help manage stray animal populations through sterilization before returning them to their original environments.

Without such measures, uncontrolled breeding would put more pressure on shelters that were already struggling with limited capacity, she said.

Another concern is the abandonment of pets, bought when they are young, only to be left outdoors when their owners can no longer care for them.

“Our weather and our environment does not help these animals,” Al-Mandeel said.

She said that she welcomed the Kingdom’s animal cruelty penalties but expressed concern about their enforcement.

“I’m glad that they’re there, but they’re still not being imposed as they should be,” she said.

While shelters address the immediate consequences of abandonment, Saudi entrepreneurs are also developing technologies to help owners care for their animals more responsibly.

Lujain Alaydie and Layan Almutairi, the co-founders of Luna’s World, have designed a mobile app that connects cat owners and provides information about feline health and welfare.

Alaydie said that she got the idea for the product while at university.

“I created Luna’s World as part of my university graduation,” she told Arab News. “But I revived it again when I started a tech company to make it more into what it is.”

The app combines a community platform with educational blogs, adoption listings, lost-and-found services and tools for monitoring cats’ health.

“You can keep vet visits, records, everything. You can keep it in one place.”

She said that she had plans to introduce a feature that would allow users to download their cats’ medical information to make it easier to share it with vets.

The inspiration for the app came from Alaydie’s love for cats and was named after her very first. She currently has 13, all of which provided her with companionship when she was studying alone, she said.