Saudi Arabia aims to plant millions of trees across the capital Riyadh as part of an ambitious urban cooling mega-project.
The project, named Green Riyadh, aims to create a more environmentally friendly city by planting 7.5 million trees at tens of thousands of public locations such as parks, parking lots, sidewalks, schools, mosques, healthcare facilities, and vacant lots throughout the capital Riyadh by 2030.
According to project director Abdelaziz Al-Moqbel, this large-scale tree planting campaign will help reduce pollution, moderate air temperatures, provide shade for pedestrians, and lower the city’s temperature by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius.
More than 70 species of native plants have been carefully selected for the project, with acacia trees making up the majority due to their resilience to the arid climate conditions of the region. Currently, nurseries are being established to supply seedlings.
The Green Riyadh mega-project has an investment of up to 11 billion USD. (Photo: SPA).
To ensure the necessary irrigation water supply, estimated to be up to one million cubic meters per day, a new complex underground irrigation system will be established to treat and reuse wastewater.
“The project is in its early stages. During this phase, we will complete infrastructure construction, upgrade the water network, plant trees, and carry out the necessary design and research work,” Al-Moqbel told AFP.
Green Riyadh is one of four “mega-projects” announced by Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz in 2019, aimed at enhancing Riyadh’s status as one of the 100 most livable cities in the world by 2030.
