Over 12mln trees planted in Saudi Arabia in 5 years

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RIYADH: The programs of the National Transformation Program 2022 have contributed in planting over 12 million trees within 5 years through the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC).

The annual report of the National Transformation Program 2022, revealed that the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) has been granted the World Summit Award and ranked first for the Information Society for 2022, in the category of digital agriculture and electronic services provided through the Nama portal.

MEWA was granted the award among more than 940 competing projects from 109 countries. In addition to that, Saudi Arabia has topped the list of worlds' countries exporting dates, as its exports amounted to more than SR1.142 billion in 2021.

The report revealed that the efforts of the programs of protecting the wildlife contributed to the release of 921 endangered wild species in national parks and reserves.

Moreover, the King Salman Reserve has witnessed the first birth of the Arabian Oryx, while Al-Wouool (The Ibex Reserve) witnessed the first birth of a human antelope.

Regarding the water sector, the National Transformation' initiatives significantly increased the percentage of the desalinated water production capacity by 35% within 5 years.

Several major projects related to desalinated water were launched in 2022, such as the world's largest floating desalination plant.

Additionally, Shuaiba 4 desalination system is considered the first system of its kind which uses nanotechnology to extract magnesium and pump it in drinkable water.

The National Water company has completed its efforts in strengthening the drinking water system for the consumers, which contributed to facilitating the services' access to more than 1 million new beneficiaries in 2022.

It is noteworthy that the program works on protecting the environment against natural hazards, such as desertification and sand encroachment, by developing and preserving the vegetation cover.

The program also enhances the prevention of insect pests, preparing natural areas by establishing reserves, partnering with the private sector to maintain and rehabilitate natural areas, and strengthening national capabilities to predict natural hazards.