Saudi Greening Program Wins Global Restoration Honor

Saudi Arabia's National Greening Program has received the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration's World Restoration Flagship status, granted on 26 August 2026 in recognition of its work restoring coastal mangroves, rangelands, forests, deserts, and urban habitats across the Kingdom.

The program is led by the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, under the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and forms part of national environmental efforts linked to رؤية السعودية 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative.

Mangrove restoration is concentrated along the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coasts, including Tabuk, Jazan, Umluj, Yanbu, Safaniya, Ras Tanura, and Eastern Province coastal areas, with survival rates reported above 90 percent in several large-scale projects. Since 2020, more than 37 million mangrove seedlings have been planted, moving toward a national target of 100 million mangrove trees by 2030.

Large-scale public and NGO campaigns, including the Morouj Foundation, reported planting millions of additional mangrove trees in 2025 across Jazan, Makkah, and the Eastern regions. A verified Phase I Mangrove Restoration Project registered in 2026 spans multiple coastal sites, with an estimated average annual mitigation of about 69,000 tCO₂e over a 45-year crediting period.

Why it matters

Major national companies operate mangrove and coastal projects, including the Ras Tanura Mangrove Eco Park and restoration works at Al-Wajh Lagoon. The Kingdom acceded to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands on 2 April 2025, with entry into force on 2 August 2025, and has committed to protecting 30% of its marine and coastal areas by 2030. For residents and expats alike, these efforts mean cleaner coastlines, richer marine life, and greater climate resilience for communities near the water.

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