Saudi Arabia Embarks on Green Smart City Transformation with 100,000 Tree Tags in Al Khobar

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has launched an ambitious environmental initiative to affix electronic tags to the trunks of 100,000 trees across the coastal city of Al Khobar in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The project, spearheaded by the Eastern Province Municipality, aims to document and digitise the city’s urban forest as part of a larger plan to transform Al Khobar into the region’s first green smart city.

The initiative marks the first phase of what officials describe as a comprehensive effort to create a digital database capturing detailed information about each tree — including its location, ecological significance, and care requirements — in both Arabic and English.

Currently ranked 61st globally on the 2025 Smart Cities Index, Al Khobar hopes the project will boost its standing among the world’s leading smart cities. The municipality emphasises that the digitisation of trees will not only promote environmental sustainability but also open economic opportunities by encouraging corporate participation in afforestation campaigns and attracting investments in smart infrastructure.

More than 10,000 trees have already been tagged in key areas such as the South Corniche, waterfront, North Corniche, and main roads. The initiative will continue until every planted tree in Al Khobar is documented and linked geographically to form an interactive and dynamic urban green map.

By integrating cutting-edge technology with environmental stewardship, the project exemplifies Saudi Arabia’s commitment to sustainable development and positions Al Khobar as a global model for green innovation.