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The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and the Royal Commission for AlUla formalized the next phase of their collaboration on February 10, International Day of the Arabian Leopard, to advance recovery efforts for a species with fewer than 120 individuals estimated to remain in the wild. A pair of leopards will transfer from the commission’s breeding facility in Saudi Arabia to Washington under a 15-year agreement with no loan or acquisition fee, subject to technical assessments and regulatory approvals covering animal welfare and genetic suitability. Any cubs born at the zoo will return to Saudi Arabia at a mutually agreed time to support reintroduction programs, the institutions said in a joint release. The new exhibit, designed to reflect the rugged landscapes of the Arabian Peninsula, is scheduled to open in 2029 and will feature both indoor and outdoor viewing areas along with an underground tunnel for observation.
Smithsonian data places the global wild population of Arabian leopards at under 120 animals living in small, isolated groups across parts of the Arabian Peninsula. The Royal Commission for AlUla has expanded its own breeding program, more than doubling the number of leopards at its Taif facility since 2020 with the arrival of seven cubs in 2023 and five more in 2024, according to figures shared by the National Zoo. Cooperative research projects will focus on genetics, reproductive science, animal welfare and long-term population management at facilities in both Washington and Saudi Arabia. The partnership also includes training initiatives, with selected Saudi students scheduled to participate in a professional exchange at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation in Virginia next summer.
A $51.6 million gift from the Royal Commission for AlUla, described by the Smithsonian as the largest in the National Zoo’s history, will finance exhibit construction, animal transport, dedicated scientific staff and ongoing conservation research. The commission, which oversees development in one of the Arabian Peninsula’s oldest inhabited regions, has positioned Arabian leopard conservation as a central element of its environmental strategy. Officials from both organizations signed the latest framework building on an initial relationship established in 2023 and a cooperative agreement from May 2025. National Zoo Director Brandie Smith stated in the release that the initiative allows application of science to bring the species back from the brink of extinction.
Scientists and animal-care specialists from the two organizations will collaborate on breeding management and genetic diversity to strengthen the overall population. The program extends beyond exhibition to include public education aimed at raising awareness about the subspecies, one of the world’s rarest big cats. At a ceremony in Washington, the Smithsonian received a sandstone replica of an AlUla petroglyph depicting a leopard beneath a horse-drawn chariot, dated broadly between 800 BCE and 400 CE, which will form part of the new exhibit. The original artifact underscores the leopard’s deep historical significance in the region, the Royal Commission for AlUla noted.
The latest developments follow earlier announcements that highlighted the potential for the leopards to arrive after diplomatic engagements between Saudi and U.S. leaders. The breeding pair will come from the commission’s conservation program, which maintains more than two dozen Arabian leopards at its AlUla wildlife facility as of last year. Knowledge exchange components of the partnership will allow Saudi specialists to work alongside Smithsonian experts on habitat management and rewilding techniques. This structured approach seeks to address both immediate breeding needs and broader ecological restoration across the species’ native range.
Further phases of the collaboration could incorporate additional research into the leopard’s role in regional ecosystems, building on existing monitoring efforts in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has committed to sharing data and best practices developed through the program with international conservation networks. Such exchanges align with global efforts to prevent extinction of critically endangered felines through coordinated captive breeding and habitat protection initiatives.
