The National Afforestation Program has achieved remarkable milestones in advancing environmental sustainability across the Kingdom. Through efforts aimed at expanding vegetation cover, combating desertification, and enhancing afforestation projects, as well as rehabilitating degraded lands, the program supports the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative, which seeks to plant 10 billion trees across the Kingdom. This ambitious target equates to rehabilitating 40 million hectares of land and leading a new “Green Era” both locally and internationally, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
The deployment of the “Mobile Laboratory” within afforestation and desertification control projects marks a major step forward in leveraging modern tools to improve the quality and efficiency of planting operations. It also accelerates and enhances decision-making to ensure the long-term sustainability of vegetation cover initiatives.
According to the program, the Mobile Laboratory is designed to conduct on-site analyses of soil, water, and plant samples, while monitoring environmental factors that impact vegetation cover, such as soil quality, moisture levels, and plant health. It also enables sustainable monitoring by providing accurate, real-time data that enhance decision-making efficiency and strengthen the long-term sustainability of afforestation projects. Additionally, the laboratory supports environmental monitoring and site rehabilitation efforts, while reducing seedling loss rates to ensure project continuity.
The program highlighted that achieving these objectives will generate positive results across afforestation efforts, including reducing the time needed to obtain precise, real-time results through on-site analysis, providing integrated environmental data by assessing soil, water, climate, plant health, and diseases. Such insights help in selecting the most suitable sites for planting, identifying the best plant species for different environments, improving seedling survival rates, and reducing costs associated with losses — all of which reinforce sustainability.
The National Afforestation Program also noted other technical features of the Mobile Laboratory, including a digital system that instantly uploads data and integrates it with the databases of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification.
The use of the Mobile Laboratory in afforestation projects is regarded as a cornerstone for the success of large-scale planting initiatives. It contributes to building a comprehensive national database on soil and vegetation conditions across the Kingdom, thereby strengthening its regional and international standing.