Saudi Arabia has launched one of the most ambitious environmental programmes in the region: a pledge to plant 10 billion trees and rehabilitate nearly 74.8 million hectares under the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI). The policy is framed not as an attempt to erase the country’s desert heritage but as a means to strengthen resilience, reduce heat and improve public health across urban and rural areas.
Saudi Arabia tree planting targets and approach
The SGI sets short and long‑term targets. By 2030 the Kingdom aims to plant more than 600 million trees and restore roughly 3.8 million hectares of degraded land, with a longer horizon to reach 10 billion trees. By July 2025 officials reported more than 151 million trees planted and about 500,000 hectares rehabilitated. Earlier work between 2017 and 2023 accounted for 41 million trees, showing the drive predates the formal 2021 launch.
Authorities say the programme rests on scientific mapping and careful species selection. A two‑year feasibility study by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification conducted more than 1,150 field surveys, combining geospatial analysis of soil, water availability, wind patterns and elevation. Native species are prioritised to avoid unsustainable water use and to support local biodiversity.
Water and monitoring are central to delivery
Water remains the main constraint. Saudi Arabia, now the world’s largest producer of desalinated water, reached daily capacity of 16.6 million cubic metres by late 2024. Reused water accounts for about 32 per cent of consumption and strategic storage has expanded, extending urban supply coverage from one day to three. The Kingdom has also scaled cloud seeding, reporting 711 flights that added an estimated 6.4 million cubic metres of rainfall, and is building 1,000 rainwater‑harvesting dams with an annual capacity of roughly four million cubic metres.
Monitoring infrastructure has expanded in parallel. The country now operates 240 air‑quality stations and enhanced meteorological sensing, while protected terrestrial areas have grown from 4.5 per cent to 18.1 per cent of territory. These systems are intended to track outcomes and allow adaptive management rather than one‑off planting drives.
Urban benefits, jobs and broader policy links
Greening is also a social and economic policy. Urban projects such as Green Riyadh aim to add 7.5 million trees by 2030 and raise green cover to around nine per cent of the capital, with King Salman Park itself planned to host over a million trees. In Makkah, the Green Qibla initiative targets 15 million trees by 2036 to improve thermal comfort for pilgrims.
Officials project measurable benefits including lower urban temperatures, improved air quality and reduced heat‑related health risks. The programme is expected to create jobs across nurseries, irrigation and environmental technologies. The SGI is linked to Vision 2030 goals on emissions, land protection and renewables, with a target for half of electricity to come from renewables by 2030 and a net‑zero ambition by 2060 based on a circular carbon approach.
Delivering tens of billions of trees in an arid environment will be technically and financially demanding. But the SGI’s reliance on scientific site selection, native species, expanded water infrastructure and measurable monitoring gives the programme a structured path. For now, Saudi Arabia is positioning greening as a long‑term investment in resilience, health and urban liveability rather than a symbolic gesture.
Key Takeaways:
- Saudi Arabia tree planting drive targets 10 billion trees and restoration of 74.8 million hectares as part of the Saudi Green Initiative.
- More than 151 million trees and 500,000 hectares rehabilitated by July 2025, with a 2030 milestone of 600 million trees.
- Plan ties greening to water management, renewables and public health, using scientific site mapping and native species.
- Projects like Green Riyadh and Green Qibla aim to deliver urban cooling, jobs and long‑term resilience.
