Jiddah south corniche and port (8272)
Saudi Arabia, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Jiddah south corniche and port
Central coordinates: Latitude: 21.3767, Longitude: 39.1533
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 60.43283
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site comprises the coastal lagoons just north of Jiddah port (21°30'N 39°10'E) and along the South Corniche road (21°23'N 39°07'E), south of the military area. It contains extensive sandy and muddy intertidal flats and shallow lagoons with sandy islands/peninsulas. All the surrounding area has been landfilled and urbanized, and the whole landward side of the site is bordered by roads.
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. This is the richest area of the central Red Sea coast for wintering waterbirds, and has a high density of migrating and wintering waders due to the presence of sewage outlets from Jiddah. In 1990 dozens of nests of Phoenicopterus ruber were present as were large numbers of displaying birds, although the colony disappeared after the site was flooded by spring tides. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Delineation rationale: 2009-10-12 (BL Secretariat): The polygon (xxx ha) is larger than the originally recorded area (c.900 ha); the extent of relevant habitat at the site may have changed since 1994, as a result of urban development and land claim, but it is difficult to know which areas have been lost since 1994 -- only currently natural-looking habitat is included in the polygon; coordinates shifted to the centre of the larger polygon.
Habitats
Land use: tourism/recreation | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 95 | |
| Marine Neritic | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The South Corniche is a busy recreational site at weekends, though the port area is relatively well protected from disturbance due to its proximity to the heavily guarded port. The mudflats at the port show signs of severe eutrophication, and in 1992 the South Corniche area was hit by an oil spill. The entire site is threatened by expanding urbanization and industrial development. Part of the site is proposed as a Natural Reserve in the NCWCD System Plan for Protected Areas.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |