Dubai: Saudi Arabia has launched two initiatives to plant 49 million trees in various regions of the Kingdom as part of the Saudi Green Initiative, which is aimed at contributing to environmental sustainability, state-owned press agency SPA reported.
The Green Initiative aims to increase the Kingdom’s reliance on clean energy, reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment, in line with the Vision 2030 to improve people’s wellbeing and protect future generations.
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has embarked on the first phase of the two initiatives that include planting 45 million fruit trees in agricultural terraces, and four million lemon trees with renewable water by the year 2030.
Themed “From Ambition to Action”, the initiatives will be implemented in cooperation with the Agricultural Development Fund and private establishments.
The initiatives are expected to provide more than half of the Kingdom’s imports of fruits worth 4.5 billion riyals, in a move that aims to achieve the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
A total of 45 million fruit trees will be planted in Mecca Asir, Al Baha and Jazan, while four million lemon trees will be planted with renewable water in the regions of Riyadh, Eastern Province, Mecca Najran, Qassim, Medina, Al Baha, Asir and Jazan.
The initiatives are expected to contribute effectively to sustainability, agriculture and production of fruit crop to achieve food security and sustainable development, exploit rainwater and renewable water, and benefit from it in irrigation and replenish groundwater reserves.
They also aim to encourage farmers, investors and entrepreneurs to invest in planting fruit trees and manufacturing industries, increase green space to contribute to reducing carbon emissions, create job opportunities and increase income in the targeted areas for the sustainability of rural resources, in order to achieve the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative.
