Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification in Saudi Arabia revealed that the National Afforestation Program has achieved tangible results, planting more than 141 million trees and rehabilitating more than 310,000 hectares of degraded land using rainwater and treated water, ensuring the conservation of natural resources.

This came in a speech delivered by the CEO of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, Khaled Al-Abdulqader, at a workshop in Riyadh. He stated that the Saudi Green Initiative represents a qualitative shift in the national environmental agenda, as it aims to plant 10 billion trees, equivalent to rehabilitating approximately 40 million hectares of degraded land.

He also announced the adoption of unified scientific standards for rehabilitation, calling on all participating parties to adhere to them and submit periodic reports on what has been implemented in accordance with the approved mechanism.

The program also witnessed the launch of the "Land Rehabilitation Guide in Non-Agricultural Areas in the Kingdom," which serves as a scientific and practical reference that unifies concepts and guides projects in accordance with approved best practices. This enhances the efficiency of resource use and ensures the sustainability of environmental rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia's diverse environments. It also embodies Saudi's commitment to achieving the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative by expanding the scope of rehabilitation to include all types of land.

The Saudi Green Initiative is an ambitious national initiative aimed at addressing the impacts of climate change, improving quality of life, and protecting the environment, for the benefit of future generations.

It also supports Saudi Arabia's efforts to achieve net-zero carbon neutrality by 2060 by adopting a circular carbon economy model and is working to accelerate Saudi Arabia's transition to a green economy. The initiative seeks to achieve three ambitious goals: reducing carbon emissions, afforestation, and protecting land and marine areas.