The rise of Artificial Intelligence has led to rapid advancements and opened up a seemingly infinite sea of possibilities across various sectors, including environmental protection, sustainability, and comprehensive ecological restoration.

Innovation is the need of the hour, and AlUla has embraced that wholeheartedly by using AI to drive tangible, long-term landscape change that can be implemented at an unprecedented scale – reminiscent of ancient civilisations that broke the mould to formulate new agricultural practices in AlUla's Oasis.

At present, AlUla's ecological restoration efforts span six vast nature reserves – Sharaan, Wadi Nakhlah, Gharameel, Harrat Uwayrid, Harrat AlZabin, and Harrat Khaybar – all of which have diverse habitats and unique needs. In the coming years, teams from the Wildlife and Natural Heritage team will restore 65,000 hectares of degraded rangeland within these nature reserves, which cover more than 50% of AlUla County.

Given the massive area of land, manual field surveys prove to be challenging and restoration efforts require a significant amount of data. Therefore, alternative methods are needed to obtain high-quality data on a broader scale.

This is where the AI comes in.

Currently, a 100-hectare ecological restoration pilot site in Sharaan Nature Reserve serves as an exciting hive of experimentation that is poised to change AlUla’s land forever. Established in 2021, the site was planted with 35,000 seedlings and functions as an outdoor laboratory where ecologists and scientists experiment with methods for ecological restoration in arid environments – a relatively under-researched area.

With the understanding that soon there will be a need to scale up restoration beyond the initial 100 hectares, AI is being harnessed to gather extensive data and analyse it accurately and efficiently. Some of the tools being used in AlUla include:

• Remote sensing: AI-powered analysis of drone imagery provides detailed, real-time data on habitat conditions, species diversity, and ecosystem dynamics.
• Predictive modelling: AI models are forecasting the impact of environmental changes, informing restoration planning, and simulating the long-term outcomes of different intervention strategies.
• Automated monitoring: AI-enabled sensors and cameras continuously track the health and recovery of restored habitats, allowing for adaptive management and early intervention.
• Ecosystem functions: AI is being used to analyse hydrology, soil, and vegetation data to guide the restoration of habitats and their vital ecosystem functions.
• Monitoring and evaluation: AI-powered monitoring systems can track the progress and success of restoration efforts, informing adaptive management strategies.

The ultimate goal is the holistic regeneration of AlUla for the benefit of the local population and travellers alike – the realisation of a sustainability vision that has been foundational to the county’s development right from the start.

This revitalised future, where land regeneration and tourism go hand-in-hand, ensures that AlUla’s native flora and fauna are restored to their full glory once again.