Over 95m trees planted across Kingdom since 2021

These initiatives help reduce carbon emissions, improve quality of life, and combat climate change. (File/Saudi Green Initiative)
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Updated 16 October 2024
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Over 95m trees planted across Kingdom since 2021

  • 111,000 hectares of degraded land rehabilitated
  • 7.1 million cases of natural vegetation regeneration have been recorded

RIYADH: The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification has announced that the government has planted over 95 million trees since the launch of the Saudi Green Initiative in 2021.

These efforts, in partnership with private and nonprofit bodies, have rehabilitated 111,000 hectares of degraded land and are protecting 4.3 million hectares under restoration, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Additionally, 7.1 million cases of natural vegetation regeneration have been recorded, showing progress in expanding the Kingdom’s green cover.

So far, 121 partners from various sectors have contributed to afforestation efforts, supporting national goals aligned with the Saudi Green Initiative and Vision 2030.

These initiatives help reduce carbon emissions, improve quality of life, and combat climate change, the SPA reported.

The center also focuses on protecting and rehabilitating vegetation, combating illegal logging, and sustainably managing rangelands, forests, and national parks. These efforts aim to ensure sustainable vegetation cover for future generations.


Saudi astronauts help achieve breakthrough in cartilage-repair research

Saudi Arabia recorded major scientific milestone with its astronauts helping to produce cartilage-repair nanomaterial in space.
Updated 58 min 17 sec ago
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Saudi astronauts help achieve breakthrough in cartilage-repair research

  • Nanomaterial produced in space for the first time
  • Saudi astronaut Rayana Barnawi part of the team

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has recorded a major scientific milestone with its astronauts helping to produce a cartilage-repair nanomaterial in space for the first time, building on the work done during the Kingdom’s landmark SSA-HSF1 mission in 2023.

The Saudi Space Agency announced that its astronauts’ involvement in 19 experiments aboard the International Space Station would enhance quality of life on Earth.

The SSA explained that the research, led by scientists Yupeng Chen and Mari Anne Snow, in an international collaboration, focused on developing advanced biomaterials for tissue engineering, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

Saudi astronaut Rayana Barnawi helped to conduct the experiments and collect data in the microgravity environment. The material produced could assist in tissue treatment and organ transplantation.

The research findings were published in Nature in July 2025, one of the world’s leading scientific journals.

Barnawi said: “Conducting the experiment in space enabled the fabrication of an advanced nanomaterial and the production of reliable data that supports the development of scientific research contributing to improving human life and serving humanity.”

The SSA said the Kingdom wants to maximize the scientific return from human exploration missions for the benefit of the planet.