Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas was 30.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Saudi Arabia, 2000–2025
Source: BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Saudi Arabia is 30.7%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 19.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Saudi Arabia peaked at 30.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 25.8%, in 2000.
Saudi Arabia ranks 125th of 190 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 25.8% | — |
| 2001 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 30.7% | +19.0% |
| 2024 | 30.7% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 30.7% | +0.0% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 30.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 49.1%, 63% of the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 30.7% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 36.4%, 84% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 25.8% | 25.8% | 25.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.8% | 25.8% | 25.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.2% | 25.8% | 30.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More environment data for Saudi Arabia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -52.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -27.86 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.424 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.53 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 9.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Saudi Arabia?
- Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas in Saudi Arabia was 30.7% in 2025, according to BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 30.7% in 2023.
- What is the lowest protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.8% in 2000.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 125th out of 190 countries with data for 2025.
- Is protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average proportion of Marine Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) covered by protected areas (%).