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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 1994 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	breeding (1993–1995)	45–120 pairs	B1i
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter (1992–1995)	480 birds	A4i, B1i
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	passage (1992–1995)	3,500 birds	A4i, B1i
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	winter (1992–1995)	2,800 birds	A4i, B1i
Charadrius mongolus	NR	passage (1992–1995)	1,800 birds	A4i, B1i
Charadrius mongolus	NR	winter (1991)	402 birds	B1i
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	NT	passage (1992–1995)	700 birds	B1i
Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus	VU	passage (1992–1995)	1,100 birds	A4i, B1i
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea	VU	passage (1992–1995)	3,100 birds	B1i
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	passage (1992–1995)	11,340 birds	A4i, B1i
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	winter (1992–1995)	8,650 birds	A4i, B1i
Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans	LC	winter (1991)	118–1,200 birds	B1i
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (1993)	20,000 birds	A4iii

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1994. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Pollution	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Little/none of area covered (<10%)	A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not compre­hensive	Not assessed	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
-	Sabkhat al-Fasl	محمية (IV)	13

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	100	Waste-water treatment areas

Land use	% of IBA
water management	100
hunting	minor (<10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sabkhat al-Fasl lagoons (Saudi Arabia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sabkhat-al-fasl-lagoons-iba-saudi-arabia on 24/12/2024.