Gulf of Salwah (8265)
Saudi Arabia, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Gulf of Salwah
Central coordinates: Latitude: 25.4000, Longitude: 50.4883
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 2112.91769
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The western sector of a shallow, enclosed bay between Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar, from al-'Uqair south to Salwah on the border with Qatar (c.100 km of coastline). It is bordered by a generally well-vegetated sandy coast where the high level of groundwater allows the growth of date palms and reedbeds at the edge of the sea, with reeds Phragmites often extending into the seawater. The area contains large sabkhahs and elevated peninsulas surrounded by shallow, hypersaline lagoons, and the intertidal zone consists largely of flats of sand and sand-rock. Marine substrates are sand and rock supporting extensive seagrass beds. Elevated parts have been isolated by the present water level, forming islands close to the coast (e.g. Zakhnuniyah, Samamik, Judhaym). These are often muddier than the mainland, support a good growth of salt-tolerant vegetation, and seabird colonies are found on sandier parts. Unaybir, a small island at the southern tip of the gulf, consists of elevated fossil coral rock. Small-scale traditional fishing occurs, with a small fishing settlement on Zakhnuniyah. The mainland supports major rock quarrying operations and is used for camel grazing. The ruins of al-'Uqair are of considerable historical value.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: See box for key species. The gulf holds the main breeding sites in Saudi Arabia of Phalacrocorax nigrogularis (see box). There are important breeding numbers of three species of tern (see box), as well as the only known breeding Sterna caspia on the Saudi Arabian Gulf coast (3-5 pairs). There are many wintering Larus ichthyaetus (189 in January 1993) and L. cachinnans/L. argentatus, largely associated with breeding colonies of P. nigrogularis. Other winter counts include 1,260 Larus genei. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: Dugong dugon (V; globally important population).
Delineation rationale: 2009-10-12 (BL Secretariat): The polygon is larger than the recorded area, however, northern and southern extents are probably accurate. The seaward extent is the national maritime boundaries with Qatar and Bahrain.
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture | rangeland/pastureland | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 48 | |
| Desert | 48 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The marine environment is relatively undisturbed, but would act as an oil trap in the case of a large spill to the north. Chicks from the Phalacrocorax nigrogularis colonies are occasionally harvested by people from the Hofuf and Dammam areas. Quarrying is a major threat to large parts of the elevated coastline, and vegetation on some parts has been removed for the creation of recreational beaches. At present there is only a small area of land-claim near al-'Uqair, but plans exist to create a large recreational and residential complex with marinas and artificial beaches. The site is proposed as a Resource Use Reserve in the NCWCD System Plan for Protected Areas.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing |