Saudi Arabia plants over 151 million trees under Saudi Green Initiative
Kingdom expands environmental conservation, boosts water sustainability and food production as Vision 2030 advances
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (MNTV) — More than 151 million trees have been planted and 500,000 hectares of degraded land restored across Saudi Arabia under the ongoing Saudi Green Initiative, Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, announced.
Among the major developments, the minister revealed the establishment of five specialized environmental centers, including the Middle East’s first Regional Center for Climate Change Studies and a Regional Center for Sand and Dust Storms—one of only four globally.
To support these efforts, Al-Fadley said the Kingdom launched the largest environmental fund in the region. “This reflects Saudi Arabia’s serious and sustained commitment to supporting environmental initiatives,” he said.
Terrestrial protected areas now cover 18.1% of the Kingdom’s territory, up from 4.5% in previous years. The number of national parks has expanded sharply from 18 to over 500.
Meanwhile, the reintroduction of endangered marine species has exceeded 8,000 since 2016, as marine protected zones grew by 260%.
Environmental compliance has also surged. Since the National Center for Environmental Compliance was formed in 2020, over 40,000 permits have been issued—marking a 660% increase.
Additionally, monitoring services have been upgraded with 240 air quality stations, enhanced marine spill detection systems, and new meteorological tools.
To increase rainfall and improve water availability, Saudi Arabia conducted over 700 cloud-seeding operations, resulting in an additional 6.4 million cubic meters of rainfall.
The Kingdom is now constructing 1,000 rainwater-harvesting dams with a collective annual capacity of 4 million cubic meters.
Significant investment has also been directed toward water infrastructure. Al-Fadley confirmed that over $61.3 billion has been spent on public and private sector water projects, including desalination and wastewater reuse.
The Kingdom’s daily desalinated water output reached 16.6 million cubic meters by the end of 2024—nearly double the 2016 figure.
Currently, 32% of water used nationwide is reused, while strategic water storage capacity has expanded by 600%, ensuring most cities now have a three-day supply reserve.
Saudi Arabia also delivers water to over 22,000 population centers through an 18,000-kilometer pipeline network.
The National Center for Water Efficiency and Conservation now saves 120,000 cubic meters of water daily, with plans to increase that figure to 300,000.
The agricultural sector now contributes $31.5 billion to GDP, an 8% annual increase, supported by rising domestic food production.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
