RIYADH: Urban greening works began in the Al-Naseem neighborhood of the Saudi capital on Thursday, a continuation of the tree-planting schemes in residential neighborhoods of the city within the framework of the Green Riyadh project.

The Green Riyadh megaproject, launched by the Saudi leadership in 2019, will contribute to increasing the total green spaces in the city.

The works in Al-Naseem neighborhood include afforestation, the planting of trees and shrubs, and the establishment of parks and green areas.

The designs have been developed based on global environmental standards that take local surroundings into consideration. The implementation of the plan will be accompanied by activities, including an introductory exhibition to raise residents’ awareness about the importance of greenery.

The project aims to support the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative by planting a total of 7.5 million trees in the capital and is working to establish a water network to irrigate trees and reuse 100 percent of the treated water, at a capacity of about 1 million cubic meters per day.

Through the Green Riyadh project, the Kingdom will invest $11 billion over 10 years and create new parks to improve air quality and reduce the temperature in the city.

The project will help reduce ambient temperature by 2 degrees Celsius during the summer season, reducing temperatures by 8-15 degrees Celsius across the city; improve the air quality by reducing CO2 concentration; and reduce annual power consumption by 650 GW/h through the promotion of green building techniques.

The project will also create new investment opportunities for the private sector.