Riyadh, March 23, 2025 – The Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) continues to make significant progress toward its ambitious environmental protection and sustainability goals, with strong involvement from various sectors of society. This initiative highlights Saudi Arabia's commitment to ushering in a new era of climate action and contributing to a more sustainable future, both locally and regionally.
On SGI Day, marking the anniversary of the initiative’s launch on March 27, the Kingdom celebrates the remarkable achievements made thus far, reaffirming its commitment to environmental preservation and its leadership in global climate change efforts.
The SGI encompasses 86 initiatives and programs, with investments surpassing SAR705 billion, covering various green economy sectors. These projects support the primary goals of reducing carbon emissions, increasing greenery in Saudi Arabia, and safeguarding land and sea, aligning with Vision 2030's objectives to build a sustainable economy and enhance the quality of life for Saudi citizens.
Significant progress has been made in afforestation and rehabilitating degraded land, with over 115 million trees planted across the Kingdom and more than 118,000 hectares of land restored. This milestone sets the stage for planting 10 billion trees and restoring more than 74 million hectares of land in the coming decades.
Through this strategic approach, Saudi Arabia aims to restore and protect its green spaces for future generations.
Since its inception in 2021, the SGI has accelerated its efforts to reduce carbon emissions and drive the Kingdom’s green transition, targeting a reduction of 278 million tons per year (mtpa) of carbon emissions by 2030 on the path to net-zero. To date, Saudi Arabia has integrated renewable energy projects totaling 6.6 gigawatts into its national electricity grid, with additional projects under development amounting to 44.2 gigawatts.
In 2024, the Kingdom launched projects with a combined capacity of 20 gigawatts, in line with its ambitious plans to increase renewable energy’s share in the power mix to 130 gigawatts, targeting a 50% natural gas and 50% renewable energy split by 2030.
The SGI also focuses on wildlife protection and the reintroduction of native species into their natural environments. The initiative aims to protect 30% of the Kingdom’s terrestrial and marine areas through a unique approach that fosters harmony between human activities and nature, ensuring better quality of life and flourishing ecosystems.
To date, 18.1% of Saudi Arabia’s terrestrial areas and 6.49% of its marine areas have been successfully protected, and over 7,000 endangered species, including the Arabian oryx, Arabian mountain gazelle, and ibex, have been reintroduced into nature reserves.
Saudi Arabia remains steadfast in its efforts to protect the environment and promote sustainability, carrying out high-impact projects and programs under the SGI, reinforcing the Kingdom’s proactive role in climate action and its commitment to building a sustainable future for all.
For more details, visit the official website for Saudi Green Initiative Day at SGIDay.com.