JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has recorded 26 national parks in the National Register of Protected Areas, according to the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification. Information held about the Kingdom in the World Database on Protected Areas has also been updated to establish a unified national reference source and ensure protected areas are managed in accordance with international standards. “The inclusion of Saudi Arabia’s national parks in the World Database on Protected Areas reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to developing vegetation cover, sustaining biodiversity and documenting its natural wealth in line with international best practices,” the center said on X. The move supports the objectives of the National Environment Strategy and the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to protect 30 percent of the Kingdom’s terrestrial and marine areas by 2030. The parks, which cover more than 5,000 sq. km, were added to the register after being aligned with international criteria for protected areas. The center said that their inclusion would strengthen the Kingdom’s protected-area network and support its geographical expansion. The registration process is also expected to strengthen environmental planning and support data-driven decision making. Lamia Al-Asheikh, director general of the center’s general department of national parks, said that the registrations reflected cooperation among environmental authorities. It would improve vegetation cover management, enhance quality of life, increase the parks’ appeal as tourist destinations, expand opportunities for environmental sustainability and strengthen compliance with international standards, she said.