JEDDAH: The UN has praised Saudi Arabia for achieving the major national environmental milestone of restoring 1 million hectares of degraded land, in line with global environmental objectives, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
The organization said the achievement reflected an integrated approach and a clear commitment to delivering tangible change on the ground, demonstrating that land restoration was possible even in some of the world’s most challenging environments.
Yasmine Fouad, executive secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, commended the Kingdom’s leadership in adopting major international environmental initiatives, including the Middle East Green Initiative and the Global Land Initiative, as well as its presidency of the Conference of the Parties.
She said Saudi Arabia had helped raise global ambition and strengthen collective action, emphasizing that restoring degraded land was not only an environmental priority but also a development and humanitarian achievement.
Such efforts directly enhanced food security, supported local economies, created jobs, and improved the quality of life in affected communities, while also addressing broader global challenges such as climate change, stability in fragile regions, and displacement linked to land degradation, she added.
