Latest news with #GreenArabiaProject
Arab News
10-04-2025
- Science
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia was green corridor 8 million years ago: Saudi Heritage Commission
RIYADH: The Saudi Heritage Commission unveiled new findings this week that prove the Kingdom was a vital oasis eight million years ago. Mesfer Alqahtani, archaeology consultant at the commission, said on Wednesday: 'The core findings of this study is that the Arabian Peninsula was not always a desert, it underwent repeated humid phases that supported rich biodiversity and sustained both land and marine ecosystems, making it a natural bridge for the movement of species between Africa and Asia in the ancient world.' The SHC, in collaboration with leading local and international institutions, led a scientific mission that looked into the oxygen and hydrogen isotopes preserved in cave formations. It used a combination of dating techniques such as uranium-thorium and uranium lead analysis studies to document the longest-known record of ancient climate in the Arabian Peninsula, dating back about eight million years. The study analyzed 22 speleothem samples extracted from seven desert caves located northeast of Riyadh near Shawayyah in Rumah governorate. The caves are locally known as Duhool Al-Samman. Experts at the SHC underlined that these findings provide clear evidence of recurrent humid and rainy periods in the region's past. The study also found fossils pointing to the presence of a fertile environment. Dr. Ajab Alotaibi, director general of the commission's antiquities sector, said that the study highlighted the Arabian Peninsula's crucial role as a corridor for the dispersal of organisms between Africa, Asia and Europe. The study is part of the commission's flagship initiative, the Green Arabia Project, which aims to explore the region's natural and environmental history. Michael Petralia, professor and director, Australian Research Center for Human Evolution, said: 'Our archaeological work on the lakes of Arabia has now indicated that humans and early humans were in Saudi Arabia 500,000 years ago; that tells us immediately that Arabia acted as a crossroads between continents, between Africa and Asia, so this is a landscape that is very important in terms of documenting heritage, paleontology, archaeology, through time.' The SHC-led findings have been published in the scientific journal, 'Nature,' under the title 'Recurrent humid phases in Arabia over the past 8 million years.' The research brought together 30 scientists from 28 organizations — local and international — including the Heritage Commission, the Saudi Geological Survey, King Saud University, the Max Planck Institute in Germany, Griffith University in Australia, and several universities and research centers across Germany, Italy, the UK and the US. According to the SHC, the study marks a major milestone for the Green Arabia Project, one of Saudi Arabia's most ambitious efforts to promote scientific research and document the natural and cultural heritage of the Arabian Peninsula. These findings also offer valuable insights into restoring Saudi Arabia to its original, greener state, supporting pivotal projects such as Green Riyadh and the Saudi Green Initiative. The project seeks to better understand how environmental and climatic changes have shaped the region across eras — contributing to a richer, more complete understanding of Saudi Arabia's natural history. Jasir Al-Herbish, CEO of the SHC, reaffirmed the commission's commitment to advancing research and fostering international collaborations.
Asharq Al-Awsat
10-04-2025
- Science
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Arabia Unveils 8-Million-Year-Old Longest Climate Record
The Saudi Heritage Commission has unveiled new evidence of recurrent humid periods that shaped the Arabian Peninsula's climate over the past 8 million years. The research, conducted under the Green Arabia Project, is based on one of the longest and most precisely dated cave records ever collected from central Arabia. Dr. Ajab Alotibi, Director of Antiquities at the Heritage Commission, announced the findings during a press conference held in Riyadh on Wednesday. It is worth noting that the study was published in the science journal Nature. The study's findings are based on the analysis of 22 cave formations—scientifically known as speleothems—extracted from seven sinkholes located northeast of Riyadh, near the Shuwayyah area in Rumah Governorate. Locally, these limestone caves are known as Duhool Al-Summan. The climate record, preserved in the mineral layers of the stalagmites and stalactites, indicates recurring humid phases over the past eight million years. These wet spells created fertile ecosystems across the Arabian Peninsula, starkly contrasting with today's harsh desert environment. According to the study, the Saudi desert—currently one of the world's largest geographic barriers due to its extreme aridity—once served as a natural corridor for animal and human migrations between Africa, Asia, and Europe. The researchers found that these ancient wet periods played a crucial role in facilitating the movement of species and early humans across the interconnected continents. The findings also support earlier fossil evidence from the Arabian Desert that points to the presence of water-dependent species, such as crocodiles, horses, and hippopotamuses. These animals thrived in riverine and lake-rich environments that no longer exist in the modern desert, highlighting the region's dramatic environmental transformation.
Zawya
10-04-2025
- Science
- Zawya
Saudi study uncovers ancient humid periods that shaped Arabia's climate over 8mln years
RIYADH — The Saudi Heritage Commission has unveiled new evidence of recurrent humid periods that shaped the Arabian Peninsula's climate over the past 8 million years, according to a scientific study published in Nature. The research, conducted under the Green Arabia Project, is based on one of the longest and most precisely dated cave records ever collected from central Arabia. The study analyzed 22 speleothems — mineral formations in caves — from seven cave systems in central Saudi Arabia. These deposits, some dating back to 7.44 million years ago, provide direct evidence of ancient episodes of increased rainfall and vegetation, contrasting sharply with the region's current hyperarid conditions. Key findings show that central Arabia experienced multiple phases of elevated water availability, especially during the late Miocene, early Pliocene, and middle Pleistocene. These wetter intervals would have supported rivers, lakes, and rich ecosystems, enabling the movement of water-dependent animals such as crocodiles, hippopotamuses, and elephants—species that once roamed Arabia but are now extinct in the region. The humid episodes also likely created corridors for early human and mammal dispersals between Africa and Eurasia, positioning Arabia as a key crossroads for biogeographic exchange. Fossil evidence from the late Miocene Baynunah Formation and middle Pleistocene Nefud Desert supports this theory. Researchers observed that these wet phases gradually became shorter and less intense over time, marking a trend toward increasing aridity. The transition coincides with global climate changes, including Northern Hemisphere glaciation and weakening monsoon systems. After the mid-Pleistocene transition around 700,000 years ago, evidence suggests only limited precipitation, often insufficient to sustain the lush environments of earlier epochs. Another significant discovery is the shift in the origin of rainfall. Isotopic analysis of ancient cave water trapped in speleothems shows a progressive decline in monsoon-derived moisture from the south, replaced increasingly by winter rainfall from the north. This change reflects a broader shift in global atmospheric circulation patterns. © Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Gulf Insider
09-04-2025
- Science
- Gulf Insider
Saudi Study Uncovers Ancient Humid Periods That Shaped Arabia's Climate Over 8 Million Years
The Saudi Heritage Commission has unveiled new evidence of recurrent humid periods that shaped the Arabian Peninsula's climate over the past 8 million years, according to a scientific study published in Nature. The research, conducted under the Green Arabia Project, is based on one of the longest and most precisely dated cave records ever collected from central Arabia. The study analyzed 22 speleothems — mineral formations in caves — from seven cave systems in central Saudi Arabia. These deposits, some dating back to 7.44 million years ago, provide direct evidence of ancient episodes of increased rainfall and vegetation, contrasting sharply with the region's current hyperarid conditions. Key findings show that central Arabia experienced multiple phases of elevated water availability, especially during the late Miocene, early Pliocene, and middle Pleistocene. These wetter intervals would have supported rivers, lakes, and rich ecosystems, enabling the movement of water-dependent animals such as crocodiles, hippopotamuses, and elephants—species that once roamed Arabia but are now extinct in the region. The humid episodes also likely created corridors for early human and mammal dispersals between Africa and Eurasia, positioning Arabia as a key crossroads for biogeographic exchange. Fossil evidence from the late Miocene Baynunah Formation and middle Pleistocene Nefud Desert supports this theory. Researchers observed that these wet phases gradually became shorter and less intense over time, marking a trend toward increasing aridity. The transition coincides with global climate changes, including Northern Hemisphere glaciation and weakening monsoon systems. After the mid-Pleistocene transition around 700,000 years ago, evidence suggests only limited precipitation, often insufficient to sustain the lush environments of earlier epochs. Another significant discovery is the shift in the origin of rainfall. Isotopic analysis of ancient cave water trapped in speleothems shows a progressive decline in monsoon-derived moisture from the south, replaced increasingly by winter rainfall from the north. This change reflects a broader shift in global atmospheric circulation patterns.
Saudi Gazette
09-04-2025
- Science
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi study uncovers ancient humid periods that shaped Arabia's climate over 8 million years
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Saudi Heritage Commission has unveiled new evidence of recurrent humid periods that shaped the Arabian Peninsula's climate over the past 8 million years, according to a scientific study published in Nature. The research, conducted under the Green Arabia Project, is based on one of the longest and most precisely dated cave records ever collected from central Arabia. The study analyzed 22 speleothems — mineral formations in caves — from seven cave systems in central Saudi Arabia. These deposits, some dating back to 7.44 million years ago, provide direct evidence of ancient episodes of increased rainfall and vegetation, contrasting sharply with the region's current hyperarid conditions. Key findings show that central Arabia experienced multiple phases of elevated water availability, especially during the late Miocene, early Pliocene, and middle wetter intervals would have supported rivers, lakes, and rich ecosystems, enabling the movement of water-dependent animals such as crocodiles, hippopotamuses, and elephants—species that once roamed Arabia but are now extinct in the humid episodes also likely created corridors for early human and mammal dispersals between Africa and Eurasia, positioning Arabia as a key crossroads for biogeographic evidence from the late Miocene Baynunah Formation and middle Pleistocene Nefud Desert supports this observed that these wet phases gradually became shorter and less intense over time, marking a trend toward increasing transition coincides with global climate changes, including Northern Hemisphere glaciation and weakening monsoon the mid-Pleistocene transition around 700,000 years ago, evidence suggests only limited precipitation, often insufficient to sustain the lush environments of earlier significant discovery is the shift in the origin of rainfall. Isotopic analysis of ancient cave water trapped in speleothems shows a progressive decline in monsoon-derived moisture from the south, replaced increasingly by winter rainfall from the north. This change reflects a broader shift in global atmospheric circulation patterns.
