Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s National Centre for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification is making significant strides in its coastal reforestation project, having planted 13 million mangrove seedlings across various regions of the kingdom.
The initiative is a key component of the Saudi Green Initiative that aims to enhance the country’s ecological sustainability by significantly increasing its green cover.
The project has seen the distribution of 5.5 million seedlings in Jazan, 2.4 million in Mecca, 2 million in Medina, 1.5 million in Tabuk, 1 million in Asir and 500,000 in the Eastern Region.
These efforts are part of a broader goal set by the centre to plant 100 million mangrove seedlings along the coasts of the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf in the coming years.
The centre’s ongoing projects also include a notable initiative launched over a year ago, which involved planting 700,000 mangrove seedlings.
Of these, 200,000 were planted on Ras Abu Ali Island in the Jubail Governorate and 500,000 in Al Wajh Governorate. To ensure the survival and growth of these plantations, measures such as fencing and caretaking of the seedlings have been implemented to protect them from algae, seaweed, and potential damage from grazing and encroachment.
The concerted efforts by the centre and its partners aim not only to increase green cover but also to combat desertification effectively, enhancing the ecological health and resilience of Saudi Arabia’s coastal regions.
