Data Zone
Country/territory: Saudi Arabia
IBA criteria met: A4i, B1i, B2 (1994)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 900 hectares (9.00 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2013 | not assessed | very high | very low |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (1994 baseline)
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.
Key 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.
Acknowledgements
Data-sheet compiled by P. Symens.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Jiddah south corniche and port (Saudi Arabia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/jiddah-south-corniche-and-port-iba-saudi-arabia on 25/12/2024.