Saudi Arabia has achieved a qualitative national milestone in environmental protection and vegetation restoration, announcing the rehabilitation of the first one million hectares of degraded land and the planting of over 159 million trees. This is part of the Green Saudi Initiative launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on March 27, 2021. The initiative aims to plant 10 billion trees or the equivalent of 40 million hectares across the kingdom.
The Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, Engineer Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadli, confirmed that this achievement reflects the leadership's commitment to protecting the environment and enhancing its sustainability. It underscores the kingdom's commitment to achieving the goals of rehabilitating degraded lands in line with Vision 2030. The kingdom's journey in land rehabilitation began with an area of 18 thousand hectares, before accelerating steps to reach 250 thousand hectares by 2024, culminating in the first million hectares by the beginning of 2026, marking a pivotal stage in the path of national environmental development.
Details of the Achievement
Al-Fadli added that achieving this national milestone embodies the integration of government, community, and private sector efforts, where all participating entities played a crucial role in planning and implementation to ensure the sustainability of vegetation cover, protect ecosystems, and enhance environmental and economic security in the kingdom. He also pointed out the contribution of the Green Saudi Initiative in conserving wildlife and preserving ecosystems and biodiversity, as the kingdom has successfully reintroduced many endangered animals and species.
The kingdom's atmosphere serves as a passage and safe habitat for many species of migratory and resident birds, reflecting the ongoing efforts of the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification in establishing local plant cultivation in its native environment and providing natural habitats that contribute to biodiversity conservation, making the kingdom a global model in ecosystem restoration and vegetation protection.
Background & Context
The announcement of the rehabilitation of the first million hectares of degraded land serves as a catalyst for achieving the ambitious goals of the Green Saudi Initiative and moving towards rehabilitating 2.5 million hectares by 2030. Al-Fadli also highlighted the role of royal reserves in achieving environmental sustainability by increasing vegetation cover and rehabilitating degraded lands, alongside their contribution to conserving natural resources and achieving ecological balance.
Projects utilizing dam water and rainwater harvesting are essential elements in supporting afforestation and vegetation development efforts, enhancing the effectiveness of these environmental initiatives.
Impact & Consequences
For his part, the Deputy Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, Engineer Mansour bin Hilal Al-Mashaiti, confirmed that this achievement represents a qualitative leap in the national environmental agenda targeting the planting of 10 billion trees, equivalent to rehabilitating approximately 40 million hectares of degraded land. He praised the integration of government, community, and private sector efforts, pointing to the qualitative initiatives that supported this direction, such as the National Cloud Seeding Program, which contributed to increasing rainfall amounts positively impacting rehabilitation programs.
Al-Mashaiti also noted that this achievement came through the concerted national efforts, affirming the kingdom's commitment to its leading role in protecting and preserving the environment and rehabilitating degraded lands to ensure environmental sustainability and protect ecosystems, thereby enhancing environmental security.
Regional Significance
In turn, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Dr. Yasmin Fouad, praised what the kingdom has achieved by reaching the rehabilitation of one million hectares of degraded land. She emphasized that this work reflects an integrated approach and a clear will to achieve change on the ground, demonstrating that land restoration is possible even in the most challenging environments.
She also clarified that what has been achieved confirms that solutions exist and that collective action can turn challenges into opportunities, as the kingdom has shown how countries can lead a global model in ecosystem restoration by adopting nature-based solutions and employing innovation.
In conclusion, this achievement represents an important step towards achieving the kingdom's ambitious environmental goals and reflects the strength of partnerships between the government, private sector, and community, contributing to enhancing environmental sustainability and achieving ecological balance.