Hadi Al Hikmani
Member since 2009.
I am a conservation biologist with more than 20 years of experience in the research and conservation of threatened carnivores in the Arabian Peninsula. My work has focused primarily on the Arabian leopard, integrating long-term field ecology with conservation genetics to support evidence-based conservation. I led the first intensive camera-trap studies of wild Arabian leopards in Oman, conducted dietary research using scat analysis, and played a leading role in the satellite collaring and monitoring of wild leopards in the Dhofar Mountains between 2002 and 2006. My research has advanced understanding of the genetic diversity and evolutionary history of wild and captive Arabian leopard populations across Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In 2019, I completed the first PhD dedicated entirely to the Arabian leopard, providing an important scientific foundation for its conservation. My broader research interests include carnivore ecology, conservation genetics, species recovery, and human–wildlife coexistence. More recently, I have contributed to Arabian leopard recovery and reintroduction planning in Saudi Arabia, where I serve as the Arabian Leopard Breeding Management Manager.
