DAMMAM: Participation of 49 countries in the Anatolian Eagle war games launched recently in the Konya air base in Turkey has increased the map of military exercises inside and outside Saudi Arabia.
The Anatolian Eagle exercise includes air support and defensive and offensive process with the participation of Turkish and Pakistani forces, in addition to the NATO alliance members.
The aim is to develop potential and benefit from expertise and experiences of the interacting countries.
In March this year, a 20-country joint military exercises, titled North Thunder, was carried in Saudi Arabia, with the aim to unify armed tactics for the region’s stability.
Former commander, Maj. Gen. Dr. Shami bin Mohammad Al-Thahiri, said the holding of military exercises is very important and the participation of the North Thunder was the biggest military exercise in the region, and produced many positive results.
He said forces are in need of military exercises in order to implement a number of plans and theories which lie at the heart of the military forces of participating countries. He said participating with other military forces is a positive thing because of the differences between methods and performances of armies.
Al-Thahiri said the Anatolian Eagle exercise provides an opportunity for 31 countries to exchange expertise, adding that some armies are among the best in the world including the French, American, British and German armies.
Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz approved the participation of the Saudi forces in the exercise. Planes of the Royal Saudi Air Force arrived at the Konia air base that were received by the Saudi military attaché in Turkey Col. Brig. Gen. Mohammad bin Hamad Al-Sheheel and the commander of the air force groups in the upcoming exercise provided by pilot, Misfer bin Mohammad Al-Ahmadi.
The commander of the military forces, that participated in the exercise, said air forces work within pre-planned training programs and plans to develop the skills of Saudi technical and administrative air staff, reported Okaz.
Military exercises enhance region’s preparedness
Military exercises enhance region’s preparedness
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.
