Saudi Arabia welcomes US-Houthi ceasefire deal
New land restoration guide to unify afforestation efforts
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has taken another step toward its ambitious afforestation goals with the publication of the official Land Restoration Guide for Non-Agricultural Areas.
The guide is a comprehensive manual that will serve as a unified reference to direct environmental restoration projects across the Kingdom.
It aims to ensure sustainable land management practices and support the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative, one of which is to plant 10 billion trees — the equivalent of rehabilitating 40 million hectares of degraded land.
The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification announced its publication on Wednesday with an event titled 'The Road to Restoring 40 Million Hectares.'
Organized under the national afforestation program, the event brought together a range of experts to align on best practices and scientific approaches to land rehabilitation.
Sameer Maleakah, director of the center's afforestation department, highlighted the Kingdom's ambitious environmental restoration goals.
'So far, we've restored over 313,000 hectares across various regions of the Kingdom,' Maleakah told Arab News. 'But it's not just about planting. Restoration begins with protecting the degraded areas — those affected by overgrazing, illegal logging, or desertification caused by human activities.
'We return these areas to their natural state, and once restored, they foster biodiversity, richer vegetation and denser tree cover. These sites then serve as natural parks or forests — whether mountainous or valley-based,' he added.
Maleakah also highlighted the importance of inclusive action. 'It's crucial to involve local communities, civil society organizations and take full advantage of existing legislation, rainfall and cloud-seeding technologies to ensure success.'
The center's CEO, Dr. Khalid Al-Abdulkader, echoed the importance of the program in his opening remarks, saying that land restoration is not only vital for environmental sustainability, but also plays a major role in food security, combating climate change and supporting rural livelihoods.
With more than 141 million trees planted to date and restoration efforts underway using rainfall and treated water, the center continues to position the afforestation program as a long-term investment in Saudi Arabia's ecological and developmental future.
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