This month, hundreds of Saudi Arabians got together to transform empty spaces in three major cities in the eastern region of the Kingdom into green ones as part of the one-week “Tree Planting Initiative.” According to Saudi Press Agency, around 1,000 volunteers, women, men, and children, participated during the first three days of the initiative to plant trees in Dammam, Al-Khobar, and Dhahran.
The initiative, which was launched and is being supervised by the Authority of the eastern region of Saudi Arabia, has been designed to achieve the planting 100,000 trees in various cities, with the ultimate aim of protecting the landscapes in these areas from drought, as well as ensuring that families enjoy outdoor activities when the fall season finally approaches. Not only is the project a nature-focused one but it has also been created to reinforce a sense of community partnership in protecting the environment and to show residents firsthand how they can directly be involved in agriculture.
In support of this sustainable community project, a group of young female volunteers driven by their love for nature joined efforts to help launch the environmental initiative. As reported by Al Arabiya English, women and girls of all ages joined hands with municipality workers to plant trees and flowers, while in central Dammam, families came out to help plant over 450 different kinds of plants and flowers.
Earlier this year in May, Saudi Aramco launched a campaign to grow one million trees in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia, in line with the Kingdom’s National Transformation Program 2020. The initiative aims to plant 26 types of trees and seedlings that do not consume a lot of water, such as Al Sammar, Al Ghaf, Al Badal, Al Salam, Al Talh, and Al Athal.
CEO of Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser, discussed the aims of the initiative at the launch ceremony, saying, "Saudi Arabia, with its desert climate, is home to many unique environments that demand high care. So, we are keen to ensure that our initiative of planting one million trees by 2025 has five elements to enhance sustainability and quality of life.”
