Saudi Arabia celebrates “Green Saudi Initiative Day” with ambitious achievements shaping a sustainable green future.
Sultan Almawash – Riyadh
Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Alfadhli, the Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture and the head of the ministerial committee for the Saudi Green Initiative, emphasized that the Kingdom celebrates “Saudi Green Initiative Day” by showcasing its ambitious environmental achievements that contribute to sustainability. He noted that these efforts reflect the Kingdom’s commitment to protecting the environment and enhancing the quality of life in line with the goals of Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative. The initiative aims to rehabilitate 40 million hectares, protect 30% of the Kingdom’s land and sea area, and reduce carbon emissions by 287 million tons annually.
Alfadhli made these remarks on the occasion of Saudi Green Initiative Day, which coincides with the anniversary of the initiative’s launch on March 27th each year. The Kingdom celebrates the remarkable achievements of the initiative, renewing its commitment to environmental protection and its leading role in global sustainability efforts.
He explained that the initiative has achieved ambitious milestones in recent years and continues its journey to enhance environmental sustainability and reach its targets outlined in a comprehensive strategic plan. So far, over 137 million trees have been planted, more than 310,000 hectares of degraded land have been rehabilitated, and over 4.4 million hectares of land have been protected to ensure the sustainability and rehabilitation of vegetation cover. These numbers reflect massive field efforts and widespread project deployment across different regions, focusing on planting local trees and suitable plants for each environment to enhance sustainability and increase chances of success. Over 205 entities, including 110 government entities, 75 private entities, and 20 non-profit organizations, have participated in achieving these goals.
Alfadhli highlighted that achievements included institutional and organizational aspects that helped ensure the success and sustainability of these efforts. More than 65 afforestation offices have been established across governmental and private entities, significantly enhancing execution capabilities and ensuring precise monitoring and high-quality fieldwork. An integrated governance framework has been developed to regulate quality through the use of the latest monitoring and evaluation technologies, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and satellite imagery.
National efforts of the initiative aiming to protect ecosystems are evident in increasing the percentage of protected terrestrial areas to 18.1% of the Kingdom’s area and increasing marine protected areas to 6.49%. This reflects the magnitude of efforts made to preserve natural resources and biodiversity.
He pointed out that environmental action has improved quality of life by reducing dust storms, with dust storm cases recording a 63% decrease during the period 2020-2024.
In conclusion, the Minister emphasized that these achievements would not have been possible without the concerted efforts at all levels among various relevant entities, stressing the importance of continued community efforts to support the initiative and contribute to a greener and more sustainable future for future generations.
