Kamal Ghorui
Saudi Arabia has marked a major environmental milestone, transforming degraded land into green cover at scale. The progress reflects a long-term national push to restore ecosystems, expand vegetation and tackle desertification.Saudi Arabia has restored one million hectares of degraded land and planted more than 159 million trees, marking a key milestone under 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 rehabilitating 40 million hectares across the Kingdom.Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley said the achievement reflects the leadership’s commitment to environmental sustainability under Saudi Vision 2030. He noted that restoration efforts began with just 18,000 hectares, then expanded to 250,000 hectares by 2024, before reaching the one-million-hectare mark in early 2026.He added that the progress has been driven by coordination between government entities, the private sector and the community, while highlighting the role of the initiative in preserving biodiversity and native flora. He also pointed to the importance of royal reserves and modern water harvesting techniques in sustaining these efforts. “This success embodies a unified national effort,” Alfadley said, adding that the work is strengthening wildlife conservation and ecosystem resilience.The current progress sets the stage for the next target of 2.5 million hectares by 2030, supported by projects such as dam water utilisation and rainfall harvesting, which are expected to support long-term expansion of green cover.Vice Minister Eng. Mansour Almushaiti described the milestone as a “qualitative leap” towards the Kingdom’s ambitious targets. He said it aligns with the SGI’s goal of planting 10 billion trees and rehabilitating 40 million hectares, while also highlighting specialised programmes such as the National Cloud Seeding Program, which has boosted rainfall and contributed to a 50 percent reduction in dust storms in 2025 compared to the previous year.The achievement has also received international recognition. Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), commended Saudi Arabia’s efforts, saying it reflects an integrated 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’s efforts contribute to strengthening international cooperation on land restoration through initiatives such as the Middle East Green Initiative and by hosting the COP16 of the UNCCD
