The Kingdom received the United Nations Award for Global Best Practices in Land Reform land reform, in recognition of its ongoing efforts to develop vegetation cover and restore degraded land, as well as protect ecosystems and enhance biodiversity in the Kingdom, and working to develop and reintroduce it, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
This announcement was made during a high-level event as part of the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), hosted by the Republic of Mongolia, where the United Nations honored the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the National Afforestation Program, as a pioneering global initiative for ecosystem restoration that has contributed to the planting of more than 159 million trees, restored nearly one million hectares of degraded land, and reintroduced a number of endangered animal species, in addition to its contribution to establishing a comprehensive governance framework aimed at addressing drought, desertification, and climate change.
His Excellency the Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification, Engineer Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadli, explained that the Kingdom is working to restore degraded land, enhance biodiversity, and build more resilient and sustainable ecosystems, noting that the rehabilitation of more than one million hectares of degraded land reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to transforming environmental aspirations into tangible results, in partnership with local and international stakeholders, and to establishing a sustainable natural legacy for future generations.
He noted that ecosystems are not merely a response to environmental challenges; rather, they are an investment in the future of both people and nature, explaining that the Kingdom is working to rehabilitate degraded lands; including grasslands, forests, deserts, urban areas, and coastal ecosystems, such as mangrove forests.
For his part, Engineer Ahmed bin Saleh Al-Ayada, CEO of the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification, stated that the Kingdom aims to rehabilitate more than 2.5 million hectares of land, and to plant 215 million trees, by 2030, thereby contributing to the achievement of its long-term goals of rehabilitating 40 million hectares and planting 10 billion trees. He noted that land restoration activities include reforestation, natural regeneration, managed grazing, and the reintroduction of native wildlife species—including the Arabian oryx, gazelles, and ibex—as well as rainwater harvesting and the use of treated wastewater to support restoration efforts in water-scarce areas.
It is worth noting that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) along with the National Afforestation Program, recognized two other initiatives in Brazil and the Sahel region as part of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration; these awards honor outstanding and high-impact global efforts in the field of ecosystem restoration around the world.
Saudi Arabia Wins the United Nations Award for Global Best Practices in Land Reform
The National Afforestation Program Receives UN Recognition After Planting 159 Million Trees and Rehabilitating Nearly 1 Million Hectares of Degraded Land.
