The Middle East’s First Fungi Conservation Centre Launches in Dubai

Created in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the centre will help build a global Red List for threatened fungal species. Although fungi support plant health, store carbon, and even help break down pollutants, they remain largely undocumented, despite representing around 90 percent of the world’s unidentified biodiversity.

The centre will first focus on fungi native to the Middle East before expanding globally, supported by a network of local scientists and the IUCN’s Fungi Conservation Committee. Early estimates suggest there may be up to 10,000 species of fungi hidden beneath the UAE’s deserts and coastlines, yet fewer than one percent have been studied.

Beyond science, the project aims to engage the public. A guide to fungal citizen science is in development, and Expo City Dubai has hinted at plans for a global fungi conference. As the UAE prepares to host the IUCN World Conservation Congress later this year, this new centre signals a growing regional commitment to nature-based climate solutions.

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