ALKHOBAR: Live streaming the movement of travelers on the causeway, full alerts and good preparations for the holiday seasons, all these solutions by the King Fahd Causeway Authority and Passports Department in the Eastern Province had no positive effects to solve congestion on the most crowded bridge in the Kingdom, particularly during this holiday season.
On Tuesday, the causeway witnessed significant crowding of passengers, who began to arrive at the bridge early in the morning; traffic reached its peak in the afternoon between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., a local newspaper reported.
Queuing vehicles were seen from as far as six km from the passenger check-in area.
Many travelers complained of the crowding, with only two lanes for Passport agents to check passengers’ documents, noting that this is actually one of the main causes of congestion on the bridge, especially during holiday seasons, which usually experience great crowding because of the lack of staff. Passengers demanded addressing the need to increase the number of Passport officials during such seasons for the speedy handling of passenger check-in procedures.
However, the new thing about this congestion was that passengers needed two hours to reach Saudi Customs, which is unusual in the movement of bridge traffic during the holidays, where passengers only had to pass through the Passport area.
A number of passengers documented their suffering through photos and videos published via social networking sites.
Many travelers were forced to return after a long wait on the causeway amid the queues of vehicles that were almost not moving because of the overcrowding.
Some passengers chose to escape the hustle and rescheduled their trip to Bahrain by going early in the morning, but this idea did not work either, because many travelers did the same to escape the overcrowding, and found the same fate nonetheless, although their waiting period was less.
A source at King Fahd Causeway told the publication that traffic on the bridge during holidays and summer season has recorded high intensity among travelers between the two countries, although Passport officers are highly qualified and work as quick as possible to end the travel procedures for passengers.
He attributed the causes of delays in passenger check-in times to the need of the Passport agents to check documents, the status of those under legal age, and to check on those travelers who are banned from traveling, and other legal issues.
With Eid crowding, it takes 4 hours to cross King Fahd Causeway
With Eid crowding, it takes 4 hours to cross King Fahd Causeway
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.
