A strategic step towards a green future
In a significant step that translates the goals of the "Saudi Green Initiative" into reality, the National Afforestation Program signed a series of high-quality memoranda of understanding, including eight agreements, with leading real estate associations and companies in the Kingdom. These ambitious partnerships aim to plant more than eight million trees across the Kingdom, providing a strong boost to national efforts to combat desertification and expand green spaces.
The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the program’s active participation in the “Restatex Riyadh Real Estate Exhibition 2026”, where the program was represented in the signing by the Executive Vice President, Engineer Ahmed Al-Anzi, amidst a distinguished attendance of those interested in real estate and environmental affairs, reflecting the growing importance of integrating environmental sustainability into the heart of urban development projects.
General context: Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative
These agreements fall within the framework of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which prioritizes environmental protection and sustainability. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the “Saudi Green Initiative” in 2021 as an ambitious national roadmap to address environmental challenges, most notably desertification, water scarcity, and the impacts of climate change. The National Afforestation Program, a key pillar of the initiative, aims to plant 10 billion trees across the Kingdom over the coming decades, equivalent to rehabilitating approximately 40 million hectares of degraded land. This alliance with the real estate sector exemplifies a successful public-private partnership in achieving these ambitious national goals.
The importance of the event and its expected impact
These partnerships are of paramount importance on several levels. Locally , planting 8 million trees within urban areas and around residential projects will directly improve residents' quality of life by lowering temperatures, purifying the air, reducing dust storms, and providing green spaces for recreation and relaxation. The agreements also focus on maximizing the use of greywater and treated wastewater for tree irrigation, ensuring the sustainability of scarce water resources and preventing the depletion of groundwater.
At the regional and international levels , these efforts reinforce the Kingdom’s position as a regional leader in climate action and environmental protection. The Saudi Green Initiative is an integral part of the broader Middle East Green Initiative, which aims to plant 50 billion trees in the region. By implementing large-scale afforestation projects, the Kingdom is providing a practical model for other countries facing similar environmental challenges and underscores its commitment to actively contributing to global climate goals, including the Paris Climate Agreement.
Details of the partnership and support for afforestation projects
These partnerships aim to enhance integrated efforts to raise community and environmental awareness of the importance of vegetation cover. The agreements include providing suitable seedlings for each ecological region, ensuring their care and maintenance, exchanging technical expertise and building capacity, and offering specialized field consultations to support afforestation projects and ensure their long-term success. The program emphasized that this alliance represents a significant contribution to supporting national efforts in rehabilitating degraded lands, protecting fragile ecosystems, and achieving the ambitious goals of the "Saudi Green Initiative" for environmental protection and sustainability for future generations.
