Saudi Gazette ReportRIYADH

— Saudi Arabia marked its second annual Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) Day on Thursday, commemorating the ambitious national program launched in 2021 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister and Chairman of the SGI Higher Committee.

The event highlights the Kingdom’s accelerating environmental efforts and its commitment to collective action toward sustainability.

SGI Day, themed “Promoting a culture of environmental stewardship,” capped a month-long campaign that united citizens, public institutions, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations in activities aimed at combating environmental challenges.

Throughout March, communities across the Kingdom joined forces to highlight shared responsibility for sustainable change.

This year’s SGI Day follows the strong momentum generated during the SGI Forum in December 2024, which was held alongside the UNCCD’s COP16 Conference in Riyadh. The forum served as a platform for global dialogue on environmental challenges, green transformation, and collaboration, with participation from policymakers, business leaders, and experts.

Since its inception, SGI has launched more than 85 initiatives across all 13 regions of the Kingdom, backed by investments exceeding SR705 billion. These efforts are driving progress toward SGI’s core goals: reducing emissions, increasing afforestation and land restoration, and protecting marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

Significant achievements include connecting 6.6 GW of renewable energy to the national grid in 2024, with 44.2 GW currently under development. The Liquid Fuel Displacement Program, which operates four highly efficient natural gas power plants with a combined capacity of 5.6 GW, is further contributing to Saudi Arabia’s 2030 energy mix goals.

In terms of environmental restoration, over 115 million trees have been planted and 118,000 hectares of degraded land rehabilitated — equivalent to more than 165,000 football fields. Additionally, more than 7,500 endangered animals, including cheetahs, oryx, gazelles, ibex, and houbara, have been successfully rewilded through targeted breeding programs.

A standout example of local impact is the birth of four cheetah cubs in 2024, the first in Saudi Arabia in over four decades, made possible through the National Cheetah Conservation Program and local community involvement. Meanwhile, the National Center for Vegetation Cover has planted over 37 million mangrove saplings along the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, supporting both ecological preservation and sustainable economic opportunities.

The Prince Mohammad bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority also launched a pioneering program to train Saudi women as park rangers — the first of its kind in the Middle East — empowering them to play active roles in conservation and natural heritage protection.

These efforts reflect SGI’s core principle: sustainability is a shared responsibility. From urban neighborhoods to rural communities, Saudis are demonstrating that grassroots action is essential to achieving national and global environmental goals.