Abstract
The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forsskäl, 1775) is one of the most destructive transboundary agricultural pests worldwide. Libya occupies a strategically critical position within the desert locust distribution system of the Sahara, the Sahel, and North Africa, making it highly vulnerable to locust population development whenever favorable conditions emerge. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia holds an equally pivotal position as a central link between the Red Sea, the Arabian Peninsula, and the broader Central Region, where its coastal zones represent recurrent breeding habitats. This review addresses critical gaps in the existing desert locust literature: the absence of an integrated proactive framework for the Sahara-Sahel-Arabian Peninsula region, the neglect of institutional and human capacity constraints, and the lack of operational guidance for translating predictive risk models into concrete field decisions. We take a close look at the biological characteristics, environmental triggers, and regional dynamics of the desert locust, with a special emphasis on the Libyan and Saudi contexts as illustrative case examples. We also evaluate recent advances in surveillance and management—including remote sensing, GIS, machine learning, drones, biological control, and integrated pest management. Drawing from the painful lessons of the 2020 upsurge that swept across more than 22 countries, and from Pakistan's 2018-2021 IPM case study, we argue that effective management must move beyond reactive control toward a forward-looking, risk-based framework. Such a framework should be capable of identifying areas with a rising probability of locust occurrence before large-scale outbreaks develop. To that end, we propose a seven-stage conceptual framework that knits together environmental monitoring, field observations, geospatial analysis, probabilistic modelling, graduated intervention, and post-control evaluation. In our view, artificial intelligence should not be seen as a replacement for field expertise—far from it. Rather, it serves as a decision-support tool to help prioritize surveillance and sharpen the timing and spatial targeting of interventions. What we have learned—and what we hope this review conveys—is that improving the timing, precision, and targeting of control operations may matter far more than simply dumping more pesticides on the ground. Establishing nationally coordinated, data-driven, and regionally connected early-warning systems is not just a technical exercise; it is a strategic necessity for protecting agriculture and food security from future locust plagues in both Libya and Saudi Arabia and across the Central Region.

Key words: Desert locust; Early warning systems; Integrated pest management; Libya; Saudi Arabia.