As part of the Saudi Green Initiative, the Greening KSA project aims to develop an integrated system of conservation and afforestation strategies for the Kingdom's different terrestrial ecosystems towards planting 10 billion trees or restoring 40 million hectares.

Greening KSA is an integral part of the Saudi Green Initiative, a program established under the nation’s Vision 2030 strategic framework, to increase Saudi Arabia’s reliance on clean energy, offset carbon emissions, and protect the environment. It aims to improve quality of life and protect future generations.

The task of overseeing the realization of the Greening KSA project has been entrusted to the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development & Combatting Desertification (NCVC). The strategies, feasibility studies, and implementation planning are being undertaken by a consortium headed by IMAR Engineering Consultants. IMAR have contracted the Center for Desert Agriculture (CDA) to provide the scientific and technical support for this project.

As part of this the CDA have advised on the best way of achieving the SGI’s target, taking account of social, economic and biodiversity factors. The advice includes legal and social requirements, what species to plant, suitability analysis to determine optimum planting locations, as well as how to carry out the proposed implementation with plant survivability and ecological sustainability in the face of climate change as the core challenges. KAUST and the CDA are at the global forefront of scientific research and development in the fields of arid environment afforestation, greening, and ecological revitalization, and as such, the CDA is ideally placed to deliver robust strategies supported by reliable scientific theory and the latest technological advancements covering the gamut of the scope of work.