UAE Embassy in Seoul promotes Al Maha Diplomacy.

As part of its public diplomacy, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Seoul screened the documentary film “Back to the Wild” to members of Daejayon, a local environment organization, in late last October. The event was inaugurated by H.E. Abdulla Saif Alnuaimi, UAE Ambassador to Republic of Korea. It is attended by the Chairman, Vice Chairman, staff and members of Daejayon as well as some Embassy staff and UAE students.

The event highlights the role of the Al Maha “Oryx” Diplomacy that underscores the UAE’s efforts in the protection of the Oryx. It sheds light on the country’s reintroduction of the scimitar-horned oryx into Chad.

Featuring documentary-style photography, the work outlines a remarkable story of how a species that was declared extinct in the wild was successfully restored into its natural habitat. The film traces the journey of Nya and her fellow Scimitar-horned Oryx as they travel from Abu Dhabi and return home to the African nation of Chad after being extinct in the wild for over 25 years. It follows the Scimitar-horned Oryx Reintroduction Project - the largest mammalian re-introduction effort in history.

It aims to serve as a blueprint for the re-introduction of species all over the world, and is a testament to the need to nurture and protect our natural environment for generations to come.

Under this initiative, conservationists released 48 scimitar-horned Oryx dammah into the Ouadi-Rimé Ouadi-Achim Faunal Reserve in Chad in late 2016 and early 2017. This significantly boosted the population of an animal that went extinct in the wild in the 1980s.

The once abundant creatures were hunted to extinction for their hides. Regional nomads prized this super-tough leather, which was eventually replaced with cheaper modern products that paved the way for the Oryx’s safe return to the wild.

H.E. Ambassador Abdulla Saif Alnuaimi gave a short preface about the film showing. He pointed out that the screening of “Back to the Wild” aims at introducing the Korean society to the efforts made by the UAE in the protection and breeding of endangered animals. It accentuates the importance and raises the awareness on the nature of wildlife and biodiversity.

He added that the event comes in implementation of a project launched by the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in line with its public diplomacy and cultural exchange agenda for the year 2019. Al Maha Diplomacy is an initiative jointly launched by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi to preserve biodiversity, the Ambassador said.