Saudi Gazette report

AL-AHSA — The planting initiative "Forest of Joatha" was launched at the weekend in the National Park in partnership with the Saudi Irrigation Organization and the General Directorate of Agriculture in Al-Ahsa under the aegis of the Environment Agency at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.

The head of the department of information at the ministry in Al-Ahsa Mohammed Saleh said that this initiative will continue for two months and will be available to all students of schools, kindergartens, colleges and universities during the morning hours, and for park users, families, volunteer teams, scouts and social centers over the weekend. The initiative was attended by a number of school students and scout teams in the governorate, as well as a number of students from Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University in Al-Ahsa.

Saleh said that the project is part of the initiative of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to grow 10 million trees in the Kingdom within the National Transformation Program 2020, through which it seeks a sustainable development of forests and rehabilitation of vegetation covers, which starts in the oasis of Al-Ahsa. This initiative will plant two million trees in this park and other sites in Al-Ahsa using non-conventional water and modern irrigation techniques.

The project of the Joatha Forest was inaugurated by the Eastern Province Deputy Emir Prince Ahmed Bin Fahad during his visit to Al-Ahsa province recently.

The Al-Ahsa Park is located to the northeast of Al-Ahsa Oasis, 20 km from the city of Hofuf. Its total area is more than 40 million sq. meters with the cultivated area is less than 10 percent. It contains about 1 million varieties of trees.