Professor Abdulaziz Abuzinada received his PhD in Ecology from the University of Durham, United Kingdom. He was a professor and Chairman of the Department of Botany at King Saud University before becoming Secretary General of the Saudi Arabian National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development. During his 17 years in that role, he helped create Saudi Arabia’s national system plan for protected areas and established 16 National Protected Areas and four research centers for biodiversity conservation. He was also the founder and president of the Saudi Biological Society (SBS) and is an Honorary Member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and SBS.

For more than 20 years, Professor Abuzinada served with care and commitment on the Board of Directors of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. In recognition of his longstanding service and leadership, he now holds the title of Honorary Board Member. In this role, he remains a trusted advisor to the Foundation, offering occasional guidance and sharing his experience with the Foundation’s leadership while no longer participating in regular Board governance.