RIYADH: South Korean Trade Minister Paik Un-gyu held talks with a number of Saudi ministers on Monday to give impetus to the bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various field including nuclear energy.
Speaking to Arab News, Korean Ambassador Kwon Pyung-oh said the two countries have worked very closely in various fields. The Korean minister met Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Commerce and Investment Majid Al-Qassabi and Minister of Economy and Planning Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri.
Notably, the two countries launched a ministerial-level Saudi-Korea Vision 2030 Committee to bolster bilateral cooperation, focusing on supporting business ventures between the two countries and enhancing networking with sustainable support for the economic reforms during the 18th Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) in Seoul last year.
This Vision 2030 Committee comprises five sub-groups headed by senior government representatives from both sides for cooperation in the key sectors that include energy and manufacturing, smart infrastructure and digitization, capacity building, health care and life sciences, and SME and investment.
The sub-groups aim to work closely with private corporations to identify joint projects that will promote the ambitious goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
“During the talks the two sides briefed on how they can work together to bring agreements and business opportunities to fruition through close and continuous cooperation,” the ambassador said, adding: “Through these talks I hope that South Korea can contribute to Saudi Arabia’s realization of its Vision 2030 as an optimal partner."
During the meeting with Al-Falih, who is also in charge of the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE), they discussed ways to step up cooperation in the nuclear industry, the envoy said.
The two countries are working closely on nuclear safety and security, and the Kingdom has sent 41 nuclear experts to South Korea for training and learning to design, construct and develop nuclear plants based on System-integrated Modular Advanced Reactor (SMART) technology.
The Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute and the KACARE signed a SMART pre-project engineering agreement in September 2015 that will remain in effect until November 2018.
Significantly, Saudi Arabia has received requests for information from five countries, South Korea, China, the US, France and Russia, to build two nuclear reactors.
The Kingdom is expected to shortlist two or three preferred bidders and plans to select a winner by the end of this year. The discussion on this lucrative deal is a second chance for South Korea to tap into the Middle East market following a $20 billion contract with the UAE in 2009.
During his meeting with Al-Qassabi, Paik discussed expanding the two countries’ trade and investment cooperation.
The ministers also discussed cooperation in some ambitious projects that Riyadh is pushing for, such as the establishment of an electronic trading system.
Minister’s visit boosts Saudi-South Korean ties
Minister’s visit boosts Saudi-South Korean ties
National program identifies 165 native plants for afforestation efforts in Asir
- The survey is part of broader plans focused on restoring degraded land, using native vegetation
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s National Afforestation Program has identified more than 165 species of native plants suitable for afforestation in the Asir region, highlighting the ecological diversity of one of the Kingdom’s most environmentally varied areas, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The findings form part of broader national efforts to expand vegetation cover, address land degradation, and support sustainability goals linked to the Saudi Green Initiative and Vision 2030.
According to the program, the identified species are distributed across a wide range of natural environments in Asir, including mountainous terrain, highlands, slopes, valleys, plains, rocky landscapes, and coastal areas stretching from the Red Sea to Tihama.
The species belong to numerous plant families, including Fabaceae, Anacardiaceae, Burseraceae, Capparaceae, Ebenaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Myrtaceae, Oleaceae, and Primulaceae, among others.
Plants suitable for afforestation range from large and small trees to perennial and annual shrubs, herbs, succulents, bulbs, and climbing plants.
Among the most notable species identified are the grey mangrove, mastic tree, mooring or ben tree, juniper, sycamore fig, wild olive, henna, wild jasmine, hawthorn, and arak.
The Saudi Arabian Botanical Society described the announcement as an important step in protecting plant diversity and strengthening the ecosystem conservation in the Kingdom.
Munirah bin Hamad Al-Hazani, founder and president of the society, said that prioritizing native species is central to sustainable afforestation.
“Focusing on the cultivation of native plants adapted to diverse environments forms the cornerstone of sustainable afforestation projects, as it plays a pivotal role in enhancing vegetation cover, combating land degradation, and conserving natural and financial resources,” she told Arab News.
Al-Hazani added that long-term success depends on cooperation between government bodies and the nonprofit sector, alongside community involvement and environmental awareness programs.
The National Afforestation Program has increasingly emphasized community participation, working with government agencies, private companies, and nonprofit organizations to support planting initiatives and environmental education. Its approach includes promoting volunteerism and discouraging harmful environmental practices, while focusing on the use of native plants adapted to local conditions.
Parallel efforts are underway in other regions of the Kingdom to support vegetation restoration through research and infrastructure development. In Jouf, often referred to as the Kingdom’s food basket, the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority has established a Central Nursery and a Wild Seeds Research and Production Station to address the growing demand for reliable sources of native seeds and seedlings.
The project was launched in 2023 under the directive of Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, the minister of interior and chairman of the authority’s board of directors.
Since then, the facilities has become a key component of vegetation restoration efforts within the reserve.
The authority has focused on building operational capacity by recruiting and training specialists to manage cultivation and research activities. The research and production station includes 14 mother-seed production fields containing over 400,000 trees and shrubs.
Planting began in late 2024, with more than 30 native plant species represented, selected for their role in the reserve’s natural ecosystem.
The facility also includes two seed storage units with a combined capacity of 3,000 kilograms. Seeds are collected annually from multiple sites within the reserve and used for seedling production habitat rehabilitation.
The Central Nursery spans 6,000 square meters and includes 30 greenhouses spanning 1,500 square meters, as well as two shade houses used during summer months. A plant hardening facility, designed to prepare seedlings for natural environmental conditions, covers 10,000 square meters and is divided into seven sections. The nursery’s annual production capacity reaches 1.5 million seedlings, representing more than 15 native plant species.
Together, these initiatives underscore the growing role of native plant research and propagation in Saudi Arabia’s afforestation strategy, particularly as the Kingdom works to balance environmental restoration with long-term sustainability goals.
