The Riyadh Green Project is one of the most ambitious afforestation projects in the world. It is one of the four major projects launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, on March 19, 2019, to contribute to achieving one of the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. This project aims to enhance Riyadh’s ranking among global cities, God willing.

The project targets increasing the per capita share of green space in the city and enhancing the total green areas by spreading and intensifying afforestation across all parts of Riyadh. It also aims to optimize the use of treated water for irrigation, contributing to improving air quality, reducing temperatures in the city, and encouraging residents to lead a more active and vibrant lifestyle.

The afforestation efforts include planting more than 7.5 million trees throughout the city of Riyadh. The afforestation will include the following areas:

• 3,330 neighborhood parks
• 43 public parks
• 9,000 mosques
• 6,000 schools
• 2,000 parking lots
• 1,670 government buildings and facilities
• 390 health facilities
• 64 universities and colleges
• 16,400 km of roads and streets
• 1,100 km of green belts along public utility lines (electricity transmission towers, oil pipelines)
• 272 km of valleys and their tributaries
• 175,000 vacant plots of land

Project Enablers:

• The creation of a new irrigation network that will increase the use of treated water to one million cubic meters per day.
• Establishing a network of nurseries to supply the project with seedlings and trees.
• Developing regulations and urban controls to promote afforestation in both public and private projects.
• Encouraging all segments of society to participate in voluntary initiatives within the project.

Project Benefits:

• Reducing air temperature by 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius across the city.
• Reducing the heat reflection from the Earth’s surface by 8 to 15 degrees in areas with intensive afforestation.
• Reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 3-6%, increasing oxygen levels, and raising humidity levels, thus improving air quality.
• Mitigating the effects of air pollution and dust.
• Reducing energy consumption by 650 gigawatt-hours per year through encouraging green building principles, including the use of green roofs and walls.
• Increasing the city’s capacity to absorb rainwater and reduce the effects of flooding.
• Enhancing the city’s aesthetic appeal.
• Encouraging residents to adopt healthier modes of transport.
• Preserving natural areas and increasing biodiversity within the city and its surroundings.
• Improving quality of life indicators in the city, thus raising its ranking among global cities.
• Achieving an economic return for the city of approximately 71 billion riyals by 2030, through reducing healthcare expenses, electricity consumption, water wastage in irrigation (by replacing it with treated water networks), and increasing property values.
• The program provides new investment opportunities for the private sector in nurseries, horticulture, afforestation, landscape design, and irrigation services.
• The program contributes to achieving several goals of Saudi Vision 2030, including environmental sustainability in the city, building a vibrant community with a healthy lifestyle, and enhancing the city’s economic efficiency.
• The program also contributes to several objectives of the National Transformation Program, such as increasing green spaces, reducing water waste, improving rainwater drainage efficiency, raising the percentage of treated water usage, and increasing per capita share of green spaces and national parks.
• The program contributes to several goals of the Quality of Life Program by creating open spaces for social interaction, various sports activities, and increasing walking rates among individuals.