Hirshhorn Debuts Major Sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset

Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and Royal Commission for AlUla Break Ground on Arabian Leopard Exhibit DillardKL Wed., 09.16.2026 | 1:50 pm The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) broke ground yesterday, Tuesday, Sept. 15, on a new exhibit for the critically endangered Arabian leopard, marking a major milestone in their global partnership to help save the species from extinction. The “Saudi Arabia: Arabian Leopard” exhibit is slated to open winter 2029 at the Zoo in Washington, D.C. It will be the first exhibit to showcase Arabian leopards outside the Arabian Peninsula and will be home to a breeding pair from RCU’s Arabian Leopard Conservation Breeding Centre, the first wildlife institution in Saudi Arabia accredited by the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). Fewer than an estimated 120 Arabian leopards remain in the wild. RCU leads long-term recovery efforts focused on ecosystem and habitat restoration, conservation breeding, genetic resilience and the eventual return of the species to its native range in AlUla. The managed Arabian leopard population has more tha