Shafaqna English- Saudi Arabia has restored one million hectares of degraded land and planted more than 159 million trees under its Saudi Green Initiative, marking a major milestone in the kingdom’s long-term plan to combat desertification and expand ecological restoration, according to Times of India. Launched in 2021 as part of Saudi Vision 2030, the Saudi Green Initiative aims to rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land and plant 10 billion trees across the kingdom. After restoring 250,000 hectares by 2024, the program surpassed the one-million-hectare mark in early 2026, with the next target set at 2.5 million hectares by 2030. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) described the achievement as evidence that large-scale land restoration is possible even in arid, water-scarce regions. While one million hectares represents only a fraction of the program’s ultimate target, the rapid progress over the past two years suggests the restoration campaign is gaining momentum.