Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research | Kuwait
Dr. Naseraldeen Asadalla’s research has focused on arid land ecology, invasive alien species, ecosystem restoration, and biodiversity assessment in the Arabian Peninsula and the GCC region. He has developed specialized expertise in species distribution modeling (MaxEnt), remote sensing, ecological indicators, and machine learning-based environmental data analysis. His Ph.D. research examined the dynamics of alien bird species, particularly the Common Myna in Bahrain, providing foundational insights into biodiversity trends in urban ecosystems. Building on this work, his recent research has concentrated on ecological modeling of plant and animal species in desert environments, with a focus on the influence of abiotic factors such as precipitation and dust storms on species distribution and habitat suitability. Dr. Asadalla has authored and co-authored over 12 peer-reviewed scientific publications in reputable journals including Restoration Ecology, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, and the Journal of Arid Environments. His work has received over 185 citations (as of September 2025) and he holds an h-index of 7 (Scopus). His research has directly contributed to regional conservation strategies, such as the identification of green water zones using annual plants as ecological indicators and the development of habitat suitability models for native desert flora and vulnerable species like the Asian Houbara Bustard. In addition to his academic contributions, he is an active member of multi-disciplinary research teams at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), playing a key role in nationally funded projects and the formulation of regional environmental policies. Dr. Asadalla continues to pursue applied ecological research by integrating remote sensing tools with conservation science to address environmental challenges associated with climate change, species displacement, and urban expansion across the Arabian Peninsula.
Featured Publications
Asadalla, N. B. A., Abdullah, M., Gharabi, Y., Mohan, M., Al Naabi, S., Al Ali, Z., Al Hashash, N., Srinivasan, S., Al Awadhi, T., & Abulibdeh, A. (2024). Predictive modeling of green water availability: The role of annual plants as an ecological indicator in dryland ecosystems. Journal of Arid Environments, 223, 105179.
Asadalla, N. B. A., & Marafi, M. (2023). Overlooked Colotis phisadia (Godart, 1819) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) – A new record for the butterfly fauna of Kuwait with remarks on host plant. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine, 159(1), 66–72.
Asadalla, N. B. A., Abdullah, M. M., Gharabi, Y., Mohan, M., Al Naabi, S., Srinivasan, S., & Al Awadhi, T. (2022). The use of annual plants as ecological indicators to identify locations with high levels of green water in arid ecosystems using remote sensing and MaxEnt modeling. SSRN Electronic Journal.
Asadalla, N. B. A., Abdullah, M. M., Al-Ali, Z. M., & Abdullah, M. T. (2021). Vegetation restoration targeting approach to identify the optimum environmental conditions for the restoration of native desert plants using remote sensing and MaxEnt modeling. Restoration Ecology, 29(6), e13425.
Al-Ali, Z., Abdullah, M., Asadalla, N. B. A., & Gholoum, M. (2020). A comparative study of remote sensing classification methods for monitoring and assessing desert vegetation using a UAV-based multispectral sensor. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 192, Article 370.
Abdullah, M. M., Assi, A. T., & Asadalla, N. B. A. (2019). Integrated ecosystem sustainability approach: Toward a holistic system of thinking of managing arid ecosystems. Open Journal of Ecology, 9(11), 493–508.
Asadalla, N. B. A., Abido, M. S., Abahussain, A., & Shobrak, M. (2015). Assembly of optimum habitats for Asian Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii) in the Arabian Peninsula: The vegetation aspects. International Journal of Biodiversity, 2015, Article 925093.