When you think of Saudi Arabia you may picture a desert or a city such as Riyadh or Jeddah with modern infrastructure and skyscrapers. But did you know that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is home to a rich diversity of over 2,000 species of flora spread across a variety of habitat zones including mountain forests, fertile oases, inland marshes, national parks, mangroves, and coral reefs and Saudi Arabia is planting 10 billion trees across the Kingdom ?
Saudi Arabia is working to restore and protect its natural biodiversity and increase the amount of greenery in the country while also also helping to tackle global climate change.
As part of the Saudi Green Initiative, the Kingdom is currently undertaking one of the largest tree tree planting initiatives in Saudi Arabia in the world.
What is the Saudi Green Initiative?
The Saudi Green Initiative, which began in 2021, is a society-wide strategy uniting
programmes for environmental protection, energy transition and sustainability.
Why is Saudi Arabia planting 10 billion trees?
As other parts of the world have demonstrated, tree planting offers numerous social and economic benefits. Increasing vegetation cover restores vital ecological functions, improves air quality, reduces sandstorms, and much more. Experts estimate that planting 10 billion trees across Saudi Arabia equals rehabilitating 74.8 million hectares of degraded land.
How will the tree-planting target be achieved?
This ambitious project involves carefully planned afforestation initiatives across the Kingdom over many years. In 2022 . The project has planted 43.9 million trees and shrubs by December 2023, up from 18 million trees in 2022.
This has rehabilitated 94,000 hectares of degraded land, which is equivalent to over 146,000 football fields. Experts expect to plant over 600 million trees by 2030, resulting in the rehabilitation of 3.8 million hectares of land.
What else is Saudi Arabia doing to tackle global climate change?
The Saudi Green Initiative includes over 80 projects with the aim of achieving the three targets of reducing emissions, greening Saudi Arabia,, and protecting biodiversity.
Saudi Arabia aims for 50% renewable power by 2030, leading to net zero emissions by 2060. This includes moving to electric vehicles and scaling up renewable energy and water systems.
The Kingdom’s net zero strategy will attract investment, creating jobs and opportunities for millions.
The Kingdom is collaborating and sharing knowledge with international partners to achieve long-lasting positive change for a more sustainable future. Saudi Arabia transforming through their projects they also investing in sustainable development and tourism, with projects such as NEOM the $Red Sea Project.
For more information:
Saudi Green Initiative Target
https://www.greeninitiatives.gov.sa/about-sgi/sgi-targets/greening-saudi
