The governor of Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, has inaugurated the Green East initiative, a project aimed at increasing vegetation cover and addressing desertification across the region.

This initiative is part of the broader efforts under the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI), which seeks to enhance environmental sustainability throughout the Kingdom.

In conjunction with the launch of the Green East initiative, the Eastern Province Afforestation Office was established to coordinate initiatives aimed at achieving national environmental sustainability targets, specifically in line with Saudi Arabia’s wider Green Initiative goals.

Yousef Al-Badr, the director-general of the Eastern Province branch of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, stated that the initiative is not only focused on tree planting but also includes long-term strategies to mitigate desertification, rehabilitate land, enhance biodiversity, and improve the overall quality of life in the region.

During the inauguration, Prince Saud oversaw the signing of four memoranda of understanding to facilitate the advancement of the Green East initiative.

These agreements outline collaborative efforts with several organizations.

The Eastern Province Municipality has committed to integrating green spaces into urban planning as part of this initiative.

Collaborative efforts extend to Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, which will engage in sustainable land management research.

Moreover, the Eastern Province Council for Social Responsibility will mobilize community engagement, while the Friends of the Environment Society will lead public awareness campaigns related to the initiative.

These agreements were signed by Turki Al-Tamimi, deputy governor of the Eastern Province, and Al-Badr.

Al-Badr expressed gratitude to the governor for his support and reaffirmed the center’s commitment to fulfilling the environmental goals outlined in Saudi Vision 2030.

The Green East initiative falls under the larger umbrella of the Saudi Green Initiative, which was launched in 2021 with the ambitious goal of planting 10 billion trees and rehabilitating 74 million hectares of degraded land across the Kingdom.

This national campaign aims to revive ecosystems, enhance air quality, reduce the frequency of sandstorms, and improve carbon capture capabilities.

Since the launch of this green initiative, over 100 million trees and shrubs have been planted, and 118,000 hectares of degraded land have been rehabilitated.

Projections indicate a potential temperature decrease of up to 2.2°C in urban centers attributed to the increased tree canopy cover.

Additionally, more than 1,150 field surveys have been conducted nationwide to support the initiative's objective of planting 10 billion trees.

The Green East initiative highlights the SGI’s comprehensive approach, incorporating afforestation, research, urban greening, and community involvement to promote sustainable environmental progress across Saudi Arabia.