The varied biodiversity of Saudi Arabia stems from its pivotal location between Africa and Eurasia, which allows elements of both regions to intermingle. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lies at the crossroads of three of the world's major zoogeographical realms, that is the Palaearctic zone, the Afro-tropical and the Indo-Malayan and is itself at the centre of the Eremian zone (or Saharo-Sindian) desert region which is the vast desert belt extending from Morocco to western China. Saudi Arabia's present ecology reflects its ancient past, its current geography, and the influence of man upon its natural habitat. Progressive desiccation caused by global climatic changes since the last ice age has led to the isolation of many Arabian forms in separate ecosystems and the evolution of distinctly new and exclusively Arabian taxa - the Arabian endemics.

STATUS OF TERRESTRIAL FAUNA