The Ministry of the Environment, Water and Agriculture aims to plant 4 million trees in the Kingdom by 2020, its undersecretary for environmental affairs, Osama bin Ibrahim Faqiha, told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
In a workshop organized by the ministry with the participation of agriculture officials, he said the campaign aims to achieve sustainable growth in forests and pastures, rehabilitation of vegetation cover, sustainable management of natural resources, and the best use of irrigation water.
Faqiha pointed to controls in terms of suitable places for planting, and protection against grazing and trespassing.
He said the Kingdom has more than 2,500 kinds of plants, with the diversity aided by its climate and terrain.
Faqiha said planting 4 million trees is only the beginning. The ministry plans to provide 6 million seedlings for public and private companies, in order to maintain sustainability in agriculture and preserve the types of trees that are suitable for the local environment.
He said the first stage of the campaign will involve planting 300,000 seedlings in the regions of Riyadh, Al-Qassim, Hail, the Northern Border, Asir, Makkah, Tabuk, Madinah and Al-Baha.