Prince Mohammed bin Salman Reserve sets a world precedent by breeding sand gazelles inside a solar power station

(CNN) - The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has set a new global precedent in the field of preserving the environment and wildlife, with its success in launching a program to propagate the endangered sand gazelle within the scope of a solar energy station, according to a statement published by the official website of the Saudi Press Agency “SPA” on Monday.

After a successful seven-month trial period completed in October 2025, the program moved to the actual breeding phase in May 2026 with the introduction of 38 sandhill gazelles (33 females and 5 males) to the station site.

Scientific estimates indicate that the herd's first young are expected to be born next December, leading to an increase in numbers to about 600 deer by 2031.

According to the statement, successful reintroduction into the reserve, which has an area of 24,500 square kilometers, requires an established population of at least 500 deer.

The CEO of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority, Andrew Zaloumis, explained that the goal of the initiative is to build self-sustaining populations of wildlife, capable of surviving in the wild without the need for continuous human intervention.

Safe environment for deer

The statement stated that the station provides a safe environment for breeding, as the fence surrounding it contributed to protecting the animals from predators, while the solar panels helped reduce the Earth’s surface temperatures by about 5 to 10 degrees Celsius to provide shade, which increased the reserve’s carrying capacity in the field of caring for and breeding animals by 15 times.

The station also allows a specialized team of environmental inspectors at the reserve to continuously monitor the behavior of the animals, their health, and their success in reproduction.

The sand gazelle was chosen because of its environmental importance and suitability to the nature of the site. Its size allows it to move freely under the solar panels without affecting the infrastructure.

The initiative, called “ReWildingVoltaics,” comes in cooperation with “Amala Sustainable Energy” (the alliance consisting of “EDF” and “Masdar”), along with “SUEZ” and “Korea East-West Power” (EWP). The plant extends over an area of ​​​​505 hectares, and supplies the “Amala” destination of the Red Sea International Company with 100% clean energy.