JEDDAH: Saudi Environment Week 2026 is going strong, with activities nationwide highlighting the Kingdom’s progress in sustainability and environmental protection.
Taking the theme “Your Impact is Green,” the event reflects growing interest in environmental issues, with public awareness levels exceeding 84 percent according to the Saudi Press Agency.
This signals an ongoing shift towards more responsible practices such as reducing consumption, cutting pollution and supporting tree-planting initiatives.
The week highlights achievements led by five specialized environmental centers, backed by the region’s largest environmental fund — the Saudi Environment Fund — while promoting investment opportunities in waste management and recycling estimated at SR450 billion.
The National Center for Wildlife says key scientific initiatives, including the Red Sea Decade Expedition and the Terrestrial Decade Expedition, have advanced ecosystem understanding, strengthened biodiversity monitoring and supported data-driven decision-making.
NCW has released more than 10,000 animals into their natural habitats under rewilding programs and implemented 21 breeding programs for endangered species, while also conducting extensive assessments of marine and coastal ecosystems.
Several reserves, including the Farasan Islands, Ibex and Uruq Bani Ma’arid, have been added to the IUCN Green List. The Farasan Islands Reserve is also listed under the Ramsar Convention, while Uruq Bani Ma’arid has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, highlighting their global ecological importance.
Other key milestones include the rehabilitation of 1 million hectares of degraded land and the planting of more than 159 million trees under the Saudi Green Initiative. The Kingdom has also reintroduced over 10,000 endangered animals into their natural habitats, expanded protected areas to 18.1 percent of the country’s total area, and increased the number of national parks to 500.
Professor Fernando Maestre, chair of the environmental science and engineering program at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, told Arab News that research in dryland ecology and land restoration was central to national environmental priorities. These include Saudi Environment Week and the Saudi Green Initiative.
Drylands dominate the Kingdom’s landscapes and are highly vulnerable to climate change, overgrazing, soil degradation and desertification, said Maestre: “Understanding how these ecosystems function, how they respond to environmental pressures such as climate change and overgrazing, and how they can recover is essential to design restoration and greening actions that are effective, scalable, and sustainable in the long term.”
The KAUST research program contributes in several ways, such as through SaudiNet, a national initiative developed with the National Center for Vegetation Cover.
“We aim to establish a long-term ecological observation network to monitor biodiversity, vegetation dynamics, soil health and climate across Saudi Arabia,” said Maestre. “These data will provide the scientific baseline needed to guide restoration, conservation, and sustainable land management.”
He added: “From my perspective, science-driven research is essential to ensure that restoration and greening initiatives are not only ambitious, but also ecologically sound and sustainable. In arid regions such as Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East, water scarcity, high temperatures and fragile soils mean that land-use decisions must be based on robust evidence.
“By combining long-term monitoring, field experiments, ecological modelling and new technologies, research can help identify where restoration will be most effective, which species and approaches are most appropriate, and how to balance biodiversity conservation, ecosystem functioning, and the needs of local communities.”
Saudi authorities have issued 40,000 environmental permits, conducted 173,000 inspection visits, and deployed 240 air quality monitoring stations, alongside programs to protect marine ecosystems.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) has highlighted its environmental protection and sustainability efforts during Saudi Environment Week 2026.
The organization highlighted initiatives aimed at advancing the circular economy, including 800 field visits to factories across three regions, with 100 facilities selected for specialized recycling and industrial waste management plans to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.
MODON also presented its environmental management system, which provides real-time monitoring of climate indicators and air quality across 11 industrial cities through round-the-clock monitoring stations, supporting emission control and future planning. The authority said it was developing a comprehensive strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, in line with the Saudi Green Initiative and Vision 2030.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has highlighted the importance of stronger international cooperation to tackle escalating global water challenges through integrated diplomacy, financing, capacity building and innovation.
Speaking at the 5th Istanbul International Water Forum, which took place this week, Deputy Minister for Water Abdulaziz Al-Shaibani said water should be viewed not as a sectoral issue but as a strategic economic link connecting climate, food, energy, health and ecosystems.
Al-Shaibani said the Kingdom’s participation supported preparations to host the 11th World Water Forum in Riyadh next year, with a focus on shifting from dialogue to implementation by aligning thematic, regional and political tracks and enhancing youth engagement.
In partnership with the World Water Council, the Saudi delegation also held a session outlining progress on preparations for the Riyadh forum and the upcoming stakeholder consultation meeting scheduled for late June in Jeddah, alongside Saudi Water Week.
