Wildlife Experts Join Forces to Protect Abu Dhabi's Endangered Species

Abu Dhabi’s conservation sector gained a new scientific partner at ADIHEX 2026, when the Environment Agency (EAD) and Ekthar Wildlife Development signed a formal collaboration agreement at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition.

Maitha Al Hameli, Acting Executive Director of EAD’s Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector, and Frédéric Lacroix, Chief Executive Officer of Ekthar, signed the accord with the aim of pooling institutional strengths. The partnership spans species conservation, recovery and reintroduction, conservation breeding, wildlife health and biosecurity, genetics and genomics, biodiversity monitoring, and sustainable wildlife management. It also extends to falconry, a culturally rooted practice that reflects Abu Dhabi’s commitment to balancing scientific advancement with heritage preservation.

The scope is deliberately expansive. Both organisations have committed to joint work supporting the long-term health of Abu Dhabi’s desert and marine ecosystems. The structure allows for knowledge exchange and capacity building, with specific initiatives to be developed as research needs emerge, giving the partnership room to adapt as the field evolves.

Al Hameli framed the arrangement as a natural continuation of EAD’s conservation philosophy, one that relies on assembling specialised expertise and applying it consistently over extended periods. She noted that the collaboration strengthens the scientific foundation underlying the emirate’s species and habitat management, while building lasting national expertise in conservation science.

Lacroix pointed to Abu Dhabi’s established record as a model for science-driven conservation outcomes. He highlighted Ekthar’s decades of applied experience in conservation breeding, genomics and biosecurity as a meaningful complement to EAD’s existing capabilities. Both parties are oriented toward producing practical, evidence-based solutions, and Lacroix suggested such outcomes could extend influence beyond Abu Dhabi’s borders.

Meanwhile, the timing reflects a broader period of active partnership development for Abu Dhabi’s conservation infrastructure. ADIHEX 2026 has served as a venue for multiple new collaborations, including a separate agreement between EAD and Japan’s Suwa Falconry Preservation Society aimed at safeguarding shared falconry heritage. The agency has also advanced cooperation around the Sheikh Zayed Protected Areas Network. Taken together, these agreements signal an intensifying commitment to international collaboration in environmental protection.

Abu Dhabi’s conservation work has deep historical roots. The emirate has invested for decades in captive breeding and species recovery, most notably with the Arabian oryx and houbara bustard (two species that became emblematic of the region’s long-term conservation ambitions). The Ekthar partnership suggests this momentum is accelerating, with fresh technical capacity now being mobilised to support established programmes and expand their reach.

Whether that reach will eventually shape conservation practice in neighbouring countries remains the open question Lacroix’s remarks invite.