To form the logo, authorities oversaw the planting of 6,250 jatropha trees in the shape of a triangle opposite the Dammam Corniche, covering an area of 6,200 square meters.

More than 400 people came forward to volunteer for the project, which took more than 200 hours to complete.

Majid Al-Hogail, Saudi Arabia’s acting minister of municipal and rural affairs, gave Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir, mayor of the Eastern Province, a Guinness World Record certificate on the occasion, and a similar certificate to the municipality’s service agency, titled “Public Management of Community Participation.”

He also granted a certificate to the management of enablement and support to municipalities. It was received by Abdullah bin Saeed, deputy minister at the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing and director general of Enablement and Support to Municipalities.

Al-Hogail said that the success was a result of collective efforts at Eastern Province municipality.

The larger Saudi Green strategy to increase green space by planting trees, gardens and green spaces will improve quality of life as well as environmental protection, he added.

It comes in line with Saudi Vision 2030’s goals to protect the environment and natural resources in order to achieve sustainable development. Al-Hogail stressed the importance of afforestation in order to preserve ecological balance and its role in air purification.

Al-Jubeir said that the jatropha tree was specifically chosen for the project due to its hardiness and low water consumption. He added that the smaller Green Eastern Province initiative comes as part of the larger national effort to promote afforestation.

Bin Saeed praised the new Guinness World Record, which he labeled an “achievement for all members of the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing, as well as members of the Eastern Province municipality.”