Madinat Yanbu al-Sinaiyah (8268)
Saudi Arabia, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Madinat Yanbu al-Sinaiyah
Central coordinates: Latitude: 23.9317, Longitude: 38.2800
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 17.16876
Protected area coverage (%): 54.14
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Three nearby areas of mangrove Avicennia marina (the densest on the northern Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia) covering c.11 km of coast on the 'delta' of Wadi Farrah, in the midst of a port and harbour complex serving the new industrial city of Madinat Yanbu al-Sinaiyah (25 km south of Yanbu al-Bahr). There are associated coral flats, sand beaches, saltmarsh, sabkhah, and an offshore islet.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: See box for key species. The site has a representative mangrove avifauna. Other breeding species include Ixobrychus minutus (probable), Nycticorax nycticorax (possible), Butorides striatus (min. 2 pairs), Egretta gularis (two colonies), Ardea cinerea (possible), A. purpurea (max. 3 pairs), Pandion haliaetus (3 pairs), Acrocephalus baeticatus (c.45 pairs) and A. stentoreus (c.10 pairs). Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Delineation rationale: 2009-10-12 (BL Secretariat): The identity/location of the three mangrove conservation areas was hard to ascertain from Google Earth imagery; coordinates moved to centre of largest polygon.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 48 | |
| Marine Neritic | 5 | |
| Forest | 48 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The three areas have been established as, and are managed as, Conservation Areas by the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, and will be retained in their natural state and protected from disturbance. There are plans for an environmental awareness centre with a marine laboratory.
Additional information
References: Anon. (in press), Ash et al. (1989), Baldwin and Meadows (1988), Meadows (1986, in press).