How the Saudi Green Initiative has moved from ambition to action, two years on

As a part of the Saudi Green Initiative, the Kingdom aims to plant 10 billion trees. (Supplied)
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Updated 29 March 2023
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How the Saudi Green Initiative has moved from ambition to action, two years on

  • Two-year anniversary of SGI’s launch seen as a milestone on the path to a sustainable future
  • The anniversary is being celebrated as a whole-of-society effort to usher in a greener future

JEDDAH: When one thinks of Saudi Arabia, one imagines scenes of rolling sand dunes as far as the eye can see — a vision not far from the truth in some of the more remote corners of the peninsula.

Looking closer at this vast landscape and its sprawling urban areas, however, many would be surprised by the vast green spaces now changing the face of the Kingdom, from dense forests to lush city parks.

Two years ago, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched one of the world’s most significant climate initiatives, which set out to enhance the quality of life while integrating environmental protection, energy transition and sustainability programs.




Green cover of Riyadh. (RCRC)

Celebrating its second anniversary, the Saudi Green Initiative, an ambitious multi-entity collaboration, has already reached several important milestones since its launch.

It has made a significant dent in its target of planting 10 billion trees across Saudi Arabia, chalking up 18 million to date.

Of the 40 million hectares of degraded land it aims to rehabilitate, 60,000 hectares have been restored, while more than 60 sites have been set aside for the sustainable planting of trees across the Kingdom.

INNUMBERS

  • 2 Years since Saudi Green Initiative was launched. 
  • 10 billion Target number of trees to be planted.
  • 18 million Trees planted in Saudi Arabia in 2022.
  • 60,000 Hectares of land rehabilitated in 2022.
  • 250,000 Cultivated shrubs in AlUla nurseries.
  • 62 Sites approved for tree planting.
  • 150,000 Homes powered by renewable energy.
  • 1,200 Endangered animals rewilded.

Historically, most resources for conservation efforts have been invested in areas considered wild and, therefore, less populated. Preserving these “untouched” places is critical for many reasons.

However, due to a noticeable increase in annual heat waves and extreme weather patterns, scientists and urban planners have turned their focus on urban areas to develop new strategies for resilient built environments.

For decades, rapid urbanization across the Kingdom and the lack of sustainable development on the ground led to polluted air, soaring temperatures, severe dust storms, and other harmful byproducts.

Saudi Green Initiative: An overview

There is a mechanism for defining specific places for afforestation and selecting suitable species for cultivation. Experts and specialists supervise the selection of planting sites before implementing, where available space and assured protection of the sites are mandatory to ensure the preservation and maintenance of trees. This is in addition to the suitability of the trees planted in these sites, whose types are chosen to make them compatible with the type of the soil in which they are planted. The National Center for Vegetation Coverage Development and Desertification Control has selected about 26 sites in various regions of the Kingdom to serve as alternative sites if the partner agencies do not have sites to implement afforestation campaigns. These sites meet all the requirements, including for protection and care.

The Environmental Awareness Initiative is one of the many efforts of the National Transformation Program to enhance and raise societal awareness of environmental issues and establish a sense of individual and collective responsibility for preserving natural resources in the Kingdom. The initiative aims to contribute to reducing pollution of all kinds and achieving environmental sustainability. This is being achieved through afforestation campaigns and directing the efforts of agencies, institutions and individuals toward afforestation. Afforestation campaigns are being launched with the private sector or environmental associations in coordination with the National Center for Plant Cover Development and Combating Desertification. The “Let’s Make It Green” campaign aims to increase the green area in the Kingdom and combat desertification, in addition to rehabilitating degraded vegetation sites and raising awareness of the importance of reducing harmful vegetation practices. The objective is to improve the quality of life in Saudi Arabia per the goals of Vision 2030.

  • Saleh Bindakhil, spokesman for Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.

This led to the rise of the urban heat island effect — a phenomenon that occurs when cities replace land with dense concentrations of buildings, pavement, and other surfaces that absorb and retain heat.

Scientists at Nanjing and Yale Universities analyzed satellite data from across 2,000 cities around the world from 2002 to 2021. They found that cities are warming by a rate of 0.56 degrees Celsius per decade during the day and 0.43 C per decade at night.

The study compared the rise in temperatures to that of rural areas and found that urban areas are warming 29 percent faster on average.

This data should ring alarm bells for any nation with growing ambitions and growing cities.

In recent years, an international team of climate scientists, economists, and energy systems modelers have built a range of new “pathways” that examine how global society, demographics, and economics might change over the next century.

They are collectively known as the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, which analyze how the world might evolve in the absence of climate policy and how different levels of climate change mitigation could be achieved in five different ways.

According to the G20 Climate Risk Atlas, Saudi Arabia will experience severe climate impacts if it follows a high-emissions pathway. Without urgent action, the Kingdom will see an 88 percent increase in the frequency of agricultural drought by 2050.

Heatwaves will last longer, and the combination of sea level rise, coastal erosion, and more extreme weather events will cause chaos for Saudi Arabia’s economy, which stands to lose around 12.2 percent of its gross domestic product by 2050 if it fails to act.

Data analysis from the Climate Change Knowledge Portal’s simulations shows that a rise in temperatures in the Kingdom is evident in the coming decades.

However, research has also shown that large variations in afforestation-related climate cooling can modify local surface temperatures and reduce them.

Saudi Arabia is committed to making a sizable impact on rising temperatures through collaborations between government entities, the private sector, and local communities.

TIMELINE

  • 2016 King Salman launches renewable energy initiative.
  • 2017 National Renewable Energy Program announced.
  • 2018 Launch of the National Environment Strategy.
  • 2019 Creation of the Special Forces for Environmental Security.
  • 2020 “Let’s Make it Green” campaign launched to halt desertification.
  • 2021 Inaugural Saudi Green Initiative Forum and Middle East Green Summit.
  • 2030 Target to plant +600 million trees, protect 30 percent of land and sea, cut CO2 emissions by 278 million tons per annum.
  • 2060 Target to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

To increase vegetation in urban areas and mitigate the effects of climate change, 77 initiatives and programs were activated under the broader SGI umbrella.

The Green Saudi Cities initiative, launched by the Municipal, Rural Affairs, and Housing Ministry, aims to plant up to 32 million trees in public parks and gardens across the capital city, Riyadh.

The scheme will be conducted over three phases and will undertake new greening projects in Riyadh, equivalent to an area of 437.5 sq. km. The project is set to be completed by 2031.

The capital is also undergoing a massive overhaul as the Green Riyadh project sets out to increase the proportion of green space to 9 percent and to plant 7.5 million trees by 2030.

At the heart of it all, work is underway to establish the King Salman Park, the largest urban park project in the world, in which 11 sq. km of its planned 16.6 sq. km park will be covered in green spaces and more than a million trees.

Similarly, the “Green Qibla” initiative aims to plant 15 million trees in the holy city of Makkah. The project, led by the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites, is projected to finish by 2036.




Abdulaziz Al-Moqbel, Director of the Green Riyadh Program, participating in planting the first seedlings in the afforestation project in Al-Jazeera neighborhood (east of Riyadh) on Thursday, March 16, within the activities of “Green Riyadh” program.‎ (Supplied)

Other viable paths to increase sustainability and mirror the projected positive effects of urban greening projects and afforestation initiatives are renewable energy and the use of electric vehicles.

Efforts within cities to transform high-emissions human activities such as transportation, energy production, and waste generation are increasing as 150,000 homes are now powered by renewable energy sources.

Last month, the Kingdom’s first electric public transport bus began operating in the western city of Jeddah. Studies have shown that electric public transport, powered through renewable energy, could cut 250 million tons of carbon emissions by 2030, improve public health, and reduce noise and air pollution.

“We are working on using other alternatives for taxis and public transport, and we have various tests to use alternatives that reduce carbon emissions, as a target for the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, until we reach a 45 percent reduction in carbon emissions in transportation, leading to clean energy,” Rumaih Al-Rumaih, acting chairman of the Public Transport Authority, told Arab News.




Environmental and wildlife conservation go hand in hand in changing Saudi Arabia. (NCW)

In 2018, a European Environment Agency report titled “Electric vehicles from life cycle and circular economy perspectives,” confirmed that the greenhouse gas emissions of EVs are approximately 17-30 percent lower than the emissions of petrol and diesel cars.

Although the study referred to EVs using the EU energy mix (petroleum products including crude oil, natural gas, renewable energy, nuclear energy, and solid fossil fuels), the report also stated that EVs emit zero exhaust emissions at the street level, improving local air quality.

Using such alternatives will not bring back the lakes and grassland that once spilled across the Arabian Peninsula centuries ago. However, tree planting is widely touted as one of the most effective tools to combat the climate crisis and restore biodiversity.

Government agencies, businesses, and communities across the Kingdom have all pledged to drive forward the large-scale tree planting initiative, not only to make the Kingdom greener but to create healthy ecosystems and improve the overall quality of life.

 


Saudi university develops smart sensor designed to help reduce fruit vegetable spoilage

Updated 22 May 2025
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Saudi university develops smart sensor designed to help reduce fruit vegetable spoilage

  • Device enables real-time remote monitoring across food supply chain
  • KFU College of Science registers device with US patent office

AL-AHSA: Researchers at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province have developed a low-cost smart sensor meant to reduce fruit wastage of fruits and vegetables.

A report by the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday said the device, which is now registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), is designed to predict spoilage early during transportation and storage.

Developed by a team from the KFU College of Science, the device operates by detecting volatile organic compounds, particularly ethylene gas, a key indicator of the onset of spoilage in fresh produce.

The smart sensor enables remote monitoring by stakeholders across the food supply chain, thus helping reduce wastage of fruits and vegetables. (SPA photo)

"The compact and lightweight prototype is designed for easy installation in refrigeration units or transport containers," the report said.

As the device can be connected to Internet of Things (IoT) networks, real-time remote monitoring and early alerts can be done by stakeholders across the food supply chain.

It can be integrated into cooling and distribution systems, offering a practical solution for the food and logistics sectors, the report said.

It added that the device was showcased by KFU during the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Riyadh last December, drawing significant interest from visitors and investors due its "practical value in supporting smart agriculture and minimizing food waste in supply chains."
 


Saudi women lead conversation on leadership, investment and cultural power at Fortune summit

Updated 21 May 2025
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Saudi women lead conversation on leadership, investment and cultural power at Fortune summit

  • Speaking exclusively to Arab News at the event, Princess Noura bint Faisal talks of her role in nation’s cultural development: ‘I saw an opportunity to build something meaningful’
  • The concluding day of the summit featured a strong focus on entrepreneurship, economic diversification and sectoral transformation

RIYADH: The influence Saudi women increasingly are having on global culture, policies, investment and innovation was in the spotlight on Wednesday during the second and final day of the Fortune Most Powerful Women International Summit in Riyadh.

In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Princess Noura bint Faisal reflected on her own unexpected path to cultural leadership, the strategic value of soft power, and the expanding economic role of the creative sector in the Kingdom.

“I never thought I would be in the creative world,” she said. “But when I moved back to Saudi after Vision 2030 launched, I saw an opportunity to build something meaningful.”

Her journey since then has included the launch of Saudi Fashion Week in 2018 and helping to establish the Fashion Commission at the Ministry of Culture.

“We created infrastructure that didn’t exist: new jobs, policies and real career paths for people with creative talent,” Princess Noura said.

Princess Noura emphasized the important need to integrate culture across all industries, from retail and the food and beverage sector to sports and corporate strategy: “Culture isn’t a fixed definition. It’s how you express your identity and it can absolutely be monetized if it’s supported by the right business model.”

The concluding day of the summit featured a strong focus on entrepreneurship, economic diversification and sectoral transformation.

Noor Sweid, founder and managing partner of Global Ventures, offered insights into her company’s regional approach to tech investment. Rather than sticking to fixed sectors, she said it backs sectors that have long been “underbuilt,” including financial technology in 2018, healthcare in 2020 and, more recently, manufacturing.

One standout example of this approach, she said, is a company that digitizes spare-part inventories for oil and gas businesses using 3D printing, thereby resolving supply-chain gaps and sustainability challenges in real time.

Her comments were complemented by insights from Aidan Madigan-Curtis, general partner at Eclipse Ventures, who discussed the ways in which geopolitical shocks and climate pressures are forcing venture capitalists to refocus on industrial technology.

“VCs like to say they’re long-term but they’re also deeply cyclical,” she noted, arguing that the future lies in reinventing the ways in which the world makes, moves and powers things, taking into account developments such as automation and advanced manufacturing.

Cultural transformation through sport was a major theme during a panel moderated by Lama Alhamawi of Arab News, titled “New Heights.” Adwa Al-Arifi, the Saudi assistant minister for sports affairs, said that since the launch of Vision 2030 in 2016, physical activity among Saudis has increased from just 13 percent to more than 50 percent.

The Kingdom’s National Sports Strategy focuses on mass participation, youth development and elite performance, three pillars that have already led to the achievement of some historic milestones in women’s sports, such as the qualification of taekwondo athlete Dunya Abutaleb for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Several women shared their personal journeys in sports. Zamzam Al-Hammadi, who competes in the mixed martial arts Professional Fighters League, credited her mother for inspiring her career. Boxing expert Rasha Al-Khamis told how early support from her father gave her the confidence to pursue combat sports.

Mashael Al-Obaidan said Saudi Arabia’s desert culture sparked her love of motorsports. Aalia Al-Rasheed, head of women’s football at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, spoke about the explosive growth in grassroots programs for the sport and revealed that more than 70,000 girls now play in school leagues.

Other sessions explored the economic and creative value of the fashion industry. During one on-stage discussion, Princess Noura reflected on what she considered one of the most notable outcomes of recent reforms in the country, the formal recognition of creative professionals.

“Before Vision 2030, designers weren’t even able to register their own commercial licenses,” she said. “There was no such thing as a fashion business. Today, designers can register as fashion professionals, operate legally and access support structures that didn’t exist before.”

This shift is emblematic of Saudi Arabia’s broader cultural transformation, in which creativity is no longer only a passion but also a viable and valued career path, she added.

The day’s sessions together highlighted the expanding leadership roles of Saudi women across diverse sectors and the determination of authorities in the Kingdom to turn strategic pillars such as culture, investment, sport and technology into economic engines.


Saudi Arabia ‘strongly condemns’ Israel shooting toward diplomatic delegation

Updated 22 May 2025
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Saudi Arabia ‘strongly condemns’ Israel shooting toward diplomatic delegation

  • Officials from Europe, Turkiye and Egypt scurry for cover as shots are fired toward them in the West Bank; no one is injured
  • Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry urges international community to act to halt Israeli violations in occupied Palestinian territories

RIYADH: Saudi authorities condemned “in the strongest terms” an incident on Wednesday in which Israeli soldiers fired toward a diplomatic delegation visiting the occupied West Bank.

The Kingdom called on the international community, in particular the permanent members of the UN Security Council (the US, the UK, Russia, France and China), to “immediately stop Israeli violations against civilians, diplomatic missions and relief organizations operating in the occupied Palestinian territories.”

Saudi Arabia demands Israel be held accountable under international law for its ongoing crimes during the occupation, the ministry added.

The delegation visiting the West Bank, which included diplomats from Europe, Turkiye and Egypt, was near Jenin when shots were fired by nearby Israeli soldiers, sending the officials scurrying for cover. There were no injuries.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said Israel “deliberately targeted, by live fire, an accredited diplomatic delegation.”

The incident sparked an angry response in Europe, where a number of governments condemned the shooting. Italy, France and Sweden were among those who summoned Israeli ambassadors.

The Israeli military said the visitors had “deviated from the approved route” and the soldiers fired warning shots to keep the delegation away from an unauthorized area.

Israel has been conducting a major military operation in Jenin and surrounding areas since January.


Polish pianist brings Europe’s musical soul to Saudi Arabia’s capital

Updated 21 May 2025
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Polish pianist brings Europe’s musical soul to Saudi Arabia’s capital

RIYADH: As part of the cultural dialogue between the EU and Saudi Arabia, the embassy of the EU in the Kingdom organized a musical evening at the Saudi Music Hub in Riyadh.

Speaking at “The European Piano Recital,” the EU ambassador said: “Saudi Arabia is a close ally with whom we enjoy close relations. My only wish is that music will serve to build bridges and bring our artists and our peoples closer together.”

During the recital, Polist vituoso pianist Wojciech Waleczek took the audience on a journey through the 27 countries of the EU, performing classical works that highlight the continent’s cultural diversity.

The pianist is renowned internationally for his artistic excellence and his commitment to spreading classical music throughout the world. He is also professor of musical arts at the University of Silesia in Katowice.

Waleczek told Arab News: “These were works by composers from all the countries of the European Union. We asked composers from each EU country to write a piece, which we presented this evening.

“I think this is a very important event, because we can exchange our cultures. For example, in Europe we can listen to music from other continents. Just as in Europe, we can listen to music from other continents. So we can bring European culture to other countries. That’s why I do it. I’ve discovered Polish culture and now I’d like to share it with Saudi audiences.”

Waleczek has a very active international career. He performs solo recitals, chamber music and as a soloist with orchestras in more than 40 countries, notably in Europe, the Middle East, America and Asia, and collaborates with many prestigious orchestras.

He closed his recital with a performance of Schiller’s poem “Ode to Joy,” which expresses an idealistic vision of human brotherhood, a vision shared by Beethoven. In 1972, the Council of Europe adopted the theme of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” as its anthem, and in 1985 the leaders of the EU adopted it as their official anthem.

Waleczek said: “I played the ‘Ode to Joy,’ which is the anthem of the European Union, and this piece is very special. I think that, in today’s world, we must always remember that we are the guardians of peace.”

A specialist in the repertoire of Franz Liszt, his recordings include “Grandes etudes de Paganini” (2017), “Harmonies poetiques et religieuses” in 2019, and “Weihnachtsbaum” in 2024. He also performs works by Franz Schubert, such as “Rarities and Short Piano Works” in 2021.

Alongside his artistic career, he teaches at the Institute of Musical Arts at the University of Silesia. He is also vice president of the SIGNUM association, which promotes classical music in Poland and abroad.

The recital concert is part of efforts to strengthen cultural links between Europe and Saudi Arabia and accompanies the Kingdom’s artistic and cultural transformation under Vision 2030.


Festival of fun: Riyadh expo highlights best in entertainment technology

Updated 21 May 2025
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Festival of fun: Riyadh expo highlights best in entertainment technology

  • Saudi Entertainment and Amusement Expo set to welcome 12,000 visitors over 3 days
  • Hologram zoo, inflatable monsters among attractions on show

Some of the weirdest and most wonderful innovations are on show at this year’s Saudi Entertainment and Amusement Expo in Riyadh.

With 350 exhibitors plus talks and discussions with industry leaders from around the world, the three-day event opened on Tuesday and is expected to attract about 12,000 visitors.

Among the products on show is a hologram zoo designed by Australian company Axiom Holographics, which was featured in Time magazine’s list of technologies of the year for 2023.

Brendan Hodgkins, global sales manager, said: “We package a full suite of hologram equipment that can be integrated into family entertainment centers, theme parks or shopping malls.

“During our trials, we attracted 25,000 people in just 42 days, generating over $550,000 in revenue.”

He said that the company had already sold more than 40 of its “zoos” around the world and was keen to expand into the Saudi market.

“We’re eager to bring this innovation to Saudi Arabia to help shape the future of entertainment in the Kingdom.”

Another of the exhibits on show, and possibly the largest, is a 20-meter tall inflatable ogre, designed and built by Anka Inflatable Co. from Guangzhou in southern China.

A representative of the company, who gave his name only as John, said the product was ideal for larger venues, like amusement parks.

While the purple monster attracted plenty of visitors at the show, the technology can be adapted to suit the end-user’s needs, John said.

“(It) can be customized in many shapes and the skin can be changed after one, two, or three years. It’s also collapsible and easy to transport,” he said.

Anka was also keen to increase its profile in the region, he said.

“Many of my friends have built successful companies here. The relationship between China and Saudi Arabia is strong and this is a very good market for us.”

Besides the products on show, the expo is also being used to attract new people into the industry, with the Saudi Entertainment Academy promoting a series of training programs with links to future career opportunities.

“Our vision is to focus on professional training through diploma programs,” Sultan bin Jumaiah, a sales specialist with the academy, said.

“We aim to provide professional candidates for companies looking to hire. After completing our diploma, students will have the opportunity to join various companies in this sector.”

The initiative aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify the economy and create new job opportunities for Saudi citizens.