The pace of afforestation in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is accelerating, with 31 million trees planted under the leadership of the National Centre for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification. This was reported by the 
Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

This effort aligns with Saudi Arabia’s vision for a more sustainable environment and the goals of the “Saudi Green” initiative. The Eastern Province, known for its natural diversity and strategic location, became a pioneer in implementing specialised tree-planting projects to enhance vegetation cover.

The centre is executing ambitious plans to develop vegetation cover in the Eastern Province through 40 initiatives by the year 2100. These initiatives are distributed across four primary afforestation zones to promote sustainable development. 

So far, afforestation efforts led by the centre have resulted in the planting of over 31.2 million trees in partnership with 51 entities spanning government, private, and non-profit sectors. 

The final plan aims to plant approximately 1.5 billion trees, rehabilitate over 7.9 million hectares of land, and allocate more than 121,000 hectares suitable for afforestation, including 75,000 hectares within treatment plants and 71,000 hectares under the sustainability programme.

According to the authorities, environmental indicators in the region have shown notable improvements in vegetation cover in recent years.

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