Saudi Arabia restores 1 million hectares of land, plants over 159 million trees under green initiative | World News

Saudi Arabia has marked a major environmental milestone with the massive conversion of degraded land into green cover. The progress reflects the country’s long-term commitment to restoring ecosystems, expanding vegetation and addressing desertification.Saudi Arabia has restored 1 million hectares of degraded land and planted more than 159 million trees, a major milestone in the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) launched in 2021 by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The initiative aims to plant 10 billion trees, equivalent to restoring 40 million hectares of land in the Kingdom.Abdulrahman Al-Fadli, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, said the achievement reflects the leadership’s commitment to environmental sustainability under Saudi Vision 2030. He noted that restoration efforts would initially cover only 18,000 hectares, then expand to 250,000 hectares by 2024, before finally reaching the one million hectare mark in early 2026.He added that this progress was driven by coordination between government entities, the private sector and communities, while highlighting the initiative’s role in protecting biodiversity and native flora. He also noted the importance of royal reserves and modern water harvesting techniques in sustaining these efforts. “This success reflects a unified national effort,” Alfadli said, adding that the work is enhancing wildlife conservation and ecosystem resilience.Current progress lays the foundation for achieving the next target of 2.5 million hectares by 2030, supported by projects such as dam water use and rainfall harvesting, which are expected to support the long-term expansion of green cover.Deputy Minister of Works Mansour Almuchetti described the milestone as a “qualitative leap” in achieving Saudi Arabia’s ambitious goals. This is in line with Soka Gakkai International’s goals of planting 10 billion trees and restoring 40 million hectares of land, he said, while highlighting specialized programs such as the National Cloud Seeding Program, which increased rainfall and reduced dust storms by 50% in 2025 compared to the previous year.This achievement has also been recognized internationally. Dr. Yasmin Fouad, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), praised Saudi Arabia’s efforts, saying it reflected a comprehensive approach and clear political will. “This achievement proves that land restoration is possible even in the most challenging environments,” she said.She also noted that the Kingdom has contributed to strengthening international cooperation in land restoration through initiatives such as the Middle East Green Initiative and by hosting the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.