The Saudi National Afforestation Program's executive plan was launched by Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Centre for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification. Within the scope of the Saudi Green Initiative, the initiative seeks to accomplish the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 by protecting the environment and natural resources and planting 10 billion trees over the next several decades.
The plan was made public following the Center's two-year, in-depth strategic scientific feasibility assessment, which helped the Kingdom reach its target of planting 10 billion trees and obtaining sustainable irrigation techniques for afforestation projects.
Additionally, it seeks to guarantee that the chosen tree species are compatible with the vegetation cover and can adjust to the climate of the Kingdom. The national afforestation programme, according to Dr. Khaled Al-Abdulqader, CEO of the National Centre for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification, aims to increase green spaces, combat desertification, and help achieve the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative by planting 10 billion trees, which is equivalent to reclaiming rehabilitation of 40 million hectares of degraded lands, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency.
He said that by protecting the integrity of the environment and natural resources and meeting 4% of the objectives of the global initiative to lessen the degradation of lands and wildlife habitats, the programme is among the fundamental and significant ones that will help the Kingdom achieve its Vision 2030 goals.
Al-Abdulqader noted that the Kingdom is home to over 2,500 species of wild plants, of which 350 are used in the program's afforestation efforts. The programme covers 13 regions of the Kingdom and relies on irrigation using treated water and rainwater in addition to seawater to grow mangrove forests.
