Biosphere reserves in Arab States

There are 35 in the Arab States.

They collaborate through the ArabMAB Network, launched in 1997 to promote co-operation between Arab National MAB Committees in order to strengthen the MAB programme in the Arab Region, including through the establishment of biosphere reserves and the implementation of common research and public awareness projects.

Country	Biosphere Reserve	Year of designation	Periodic Reviews
ALGERIA
8 biosphere reserves	Tassili N'Ajjer	1986	2014
	El Kala	1990	2002, 2016
	Djurdjura	1997	2011
	Chrea	2002	2014
	Taza	2004	2016
	Gouraya	2004	2016
	Belezma	2015
	Tlemcen Mountains	2016

EGYPT
2 biosphere reserves	Omayed	1981. (Extension 1998)	2011
	Wadi Allaqi	1993	2004, 2012

JORDAN
2 biosphere reserves	Dana	1998	2014
	Mujib	2011

LEBANON
3 biosphere reserves	Shouf	2005
	Jabal Al Rihane	2007
	Jabal Moussa	2009

LIBYA
1 biosphere reserve	Ashaafean Biosphere Reserve	2021

MAURITANIA
1 biosphere reserve	Delta du Fleuve Sénégal Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (Mauritania/Senegal)	2005

MOROCCO
4 biosphere reserves	Arganeraie	1998	2010
	Oasis du sud marocain	2000	2017
	Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve of the Mediterranean (Spain/Morocco)	2006
	Atlas Cedar	2016

QATAR
1 biosphere reserve	Al Reem	2007

SAUDI ARABIA
1 biosphere reserve	Juzur Farasan Biosphere Reserve	2021

SUDAN
3 biosphere reserves	Dinder	1979	2001, 2016
	Radom	1979	2001
	Jebel Al Dair	2017

SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
1 biosphere reserve	Lajat	2009

TUNISIA
4 biosphere reserves	Djebel Bou-Hedma	1977	1999
	Djebel Chambi	1977	1999
	Ichkeul	1977	1999
	IIes Zembra et Zembretta	1977	1999

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
2 biosphere reserves	Marawah	2007
	Wadi Wurayah	2018

YEMEN
2 biosphere reserves	Socotra Archipelago	2003	2016
	Bura'a Archipelago	2011

Last updated: September 2021

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Algeria

Focal point for biosphere reserves:
Mme. Houria Khelifi
Coordinatrice
Commission Nationale Algérienne pour l'UNESCO
E-mail: comnat-dz@wissal.dz

MAB National Committee

Biosphere reserves

There are 8 biosphere reserves in Algeria:

Tassili n'Ajjer Biophere Reserve
Designated in 1986
Periodic reviews: 2014

El Kala Biophere Reserve
Designated in 1990
Periodic reviews: 2002 and 2016

Djurdjura Biophere Reserve
Designated in 1997
Periodic reviews: 2011

Chrea Biophere Reserve
Designated in 2002
Periodic reviews: 2014

Gouraya Biophere Reserve
Designated in 2004
Periodic reviews: 2016

Taza Biophere Reserve
Designated in 2004
Periodic reviews: 2016

Belezma Biophere Reserve
Designated in 2015
Periodic reviews: /

Monts de Tlemcen Biophere Reserve
Designated in 2016
Periodic reviews: /

Bahrain

MAB Focal point:
Dr. Ismail Mohammed Al-Madani
Environment & Wildlife Affairs
E-mail:

Egypt

Focal point for biosphere reserves:
Dr. Manal Fawzy Ahmed Abdel Wahab
Professor of Plant Ecology
Faculty of Science
Alexandria University
Alexandria, Egypt
M: +20 (0) 1222288901
E-mail: dm_fawzy@yahoo.com

MAB National Committee

Biosphere reserves

There are 2 biosphere reserves in Egypt:

Omayed Biosphere Reserve
Designated in 1981 (extended in 1996)
Periodic reviews: 2011

Wadi Allaqui Biosphere Reserve
Designated in 1993
Periodic reviews: 2004 and 2012

Iraq

MAB Focal point:
Dr. Amal N. Yousef
Secretary
State Board for Agricultural Research

Jordan

Focal point for biosphere reserves:
Eng. Khaled Anis Irani
MAB Committee
Minister of Environment

MAB National Committee

Biosphere reserves

There are 2 biosphere reserves in Jordan:

Dana
Designated in 1998
Periodic reviews: 2014

Mujib
Designated in 2011
Periodic reviews: /

Kuwait

MAB Focal point:
Kuwait National Commission for UNESCO
E-mail: NatcomKuwait@unesco.org

Lebanon

Focal point for biosphere reserves:
Prof. Ghassan Ramadan Jaradi
Secretary General MAB National Committee
National Council for Scientific Research
E-mail: r-jaradi@cyberia.net.lb

MAB National Committee

Biosphere reserves

There are 3 biosphere reserves in Lebanon:

Shouf Biosphere Reserve
Designated in 2005
Periodic reviews: 2018

Jabal Al Rihane Biosphere Reserve
Designated in 2007
Periodic reviews: /

Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve
Designated in 2009
Periodic reviews: /

Libya

MAB Focal point:
Dr. Abdulgader Errabti

MAB National Committee

Biosphere reserves

There is 1 biosphere reserve in Libya:

Ashaafean Biosphere Reserve
Designated in 2021

Mauritania

Focal point for biosphere reserves:
Prof. Ghassan Ramadan Jaradi
Secretary General MAB National Committee
National Council for Scientific Research
E-mail: r-jaradi@cyberia.net.lb

MAB National Committee

Biosphere reserves

There is 1 biosphere reserve in Mauritania:

Delta du Fleuve Senegal
Designated in 2005 (Transboundary with Senegal)
Periodic reviews: 2018

Morocco

Focal point for biosphere reserves:
M. Driss Fassi
Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II
E-mail: idrissfassi@yahoo.fr

MAB National Committee

Biosphere reserves

There are 4 biosphere reserves in Morocco:

Arganeraie
Designated in 1998
Periodic reviews: 2010

Oasis du sud Marocain Biosphere Reserve
Designated in 2000
Periodic reviews: 2017

Intercontinental de la Mediterranée
Designated in 2006 (Transboundary with Spain)
Periodic reviews: 2018

Atlas Cedar
Designated in 2016
Periodic reviews: /

Oman

MAB Focal point:
Mr. Mahmood Bin Mohammed Bin Talib Al-Zakwani
Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Environment

Qatar

Focal point for biosphere reserves:
Mr. Khalid G. Al Ali

MAB National Committee

Biosphere reserves

There is 1 biosphere reserve in Qatar:

Al Reem
Designated in 2007
Periodic reviews: 2018

Saudi Arabia

MAB Focal point:
Mrs.Athar ALKHALAWI
E-mail: athar@ncw.gov.sa

MAB National Committee

Biosphere reserves

There is 1 biosphere reserve in Saudi Arabia:

Juzur Farasan Biosphere Reserve
Designated in 2021

Sudan

Focal point for biosphere reserves:
Ms. Wafaa Sid Ahmed Mohamed
Secretary General
Sudanese National Commission for UNESCO
E-mail: wafaa_natcom@yahoo.com

MAB National Committee

Biosphere reserves

There are 3 biosphere reserves in Sudan:

Dinder Biosphere Reserve
Designated in 1979
Periodic reviews: 2001 and 2016

Radom Biosphere Reserve
Designated in 1979
Periodic reviews: 2001

Jebel El Dair Biosphere Reserve
Designated in 2017
Periodic reviews: /

Syrian Arab Republic

Focal point for biosphere reserves:

MAB National Committee

Biosphere reserves

There is 1 biosphere reserve in Syria:

Lajat
Designated in 2009
Periodic reviews: /

Tunisia

Focal point for biosphere reserves:
M. Abdelhakim Issaoui
Direction générale de l'environnement et de la qualité de la vie

Ministère de l'Environnement et du developpement durable
E-mail: hakissaoui@yahoo.fr

MAB National Committee

M. Ahmed Rdhaounia
Commissariat Régional au Développement Agricole de Gafsa
Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Ressources hydrauliques et de la Pêche
Email: ahmed.rdhaounia(at)gmail.com

M. Mohamed Néjib Seddik
Commissariat Régional au Développement Agricole de Nabeul
Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Ressources hydrauliques et de la Pêche
Email: mnsedik(at)yahoo.fr

M. El Wardi Essmii
Commissariat Régional au Développement Agricole de Nabeul
Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Ressources hydrauliques et de la Pêche
Email: smiiwardi8(at)gmail.com

Mme Nabiha Ben M'barek
Agence Nationale de Protection de l'Environnement
Ministère de l'Environnement et du développement durable
Email: nabiha_2003(at)yahoo.fr

M. Fathi Bahri
Institut National du Patrimoine (INP)
Ministère de la culture et de la sauvegarde du patrimoine
Email: fathi_bahri(at)yahoo.com

M. Adel Sakouhi
Commissariat Régional au Développement Agricole de Bizerte
Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Ressources hydrauliques et de la Pêche
Email: s.adel(at)topnet.tn

M. Saba Guellouz
Agence de Protection et d'Aménagement du Littoral
Ministère de l'Environnement et du Développement Durable
Email: s.guellouz(at)apal.nat.tn

M. Habib Abid
Direction Générale des Forêts
Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Ressources hydrauliques et de la Pêche
Email: habibabid2001(at)yahoo.fr

Mme Héla Souhabi
Commission Nationale Tunisienne pour l'Education, de la Science et la Culture
Minsitère de l'Education
Email: hela.souhabi(at)minedu.edunet.tn