Image Nation documentary, ‘Back to the Wild’, co-produced with the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, screened at the Sheikh Zayed Center for Arabic Language and Islamic Studies of Beijing Foreign Studies University.
Hosted in partnership with the UAE Embassy to Beijing, the screening was followed by an in-depth panel discussion with senior wildlife expert Mohamed Al Remeithi from the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, Si Ping, head of the international cooperation office under the China Wildlife Conservation Association, Dr. Zhou Jinfeng, secretary-general of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation.
The event was attended by the UAE’s Minister of Education HE Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi, the UAE Ambassador to Beijing Dr Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, the Ambassadors to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Somalia, as well as members of the United Nations and UNESCO.
The film followsthe Environment Agency’s initiative, called the Scimitar-horned Oryx Reintroduction, in partnership with the UAE, Africa, Europe and the US, with an aim to preserve the species through an approach to conservation involving reintroduction to the wild. It was in part inspired by the UAE’s late founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who personally took care of a herd of oryx.
The event was also attended by over 100 students from local schools and universities who are studying Arabic language and culture. “This film not only raised awareness about preserving endangered animals through reintroduction approaches, but also demonstrated the necessity of globally coordinating efforts to achieve the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” said a Chinese student surnamed Wang, who is studying the Arab language at Beijing Foreign Studies University.