Ahead of the 94th Saudi National Day, marked on September 23, 2024, the Saudi General Entertainment Authority (GEA) has revealed this year’s theme.
The much-awaited national event will be celebrated under the slogan “We Dream and We Achieve,” designed to showcase Saudi Arabia’s accomplishments throughout the year across various sectors, as part of Vision 2030.
Green color features heavily in the National Day celebrations. It has become an integral part of the Saudi identity, symbolizing pride, generosity and prosperity. This year, however, the green color carries more significance, as it highlights the Kingdom’s achievements in its green transformation, turning vast spaces of Saudi land into a blooming green heaven.
National Day Celebrations
The Saudi National Day celebrations are marked with festivities across all the Kingdom’s regions, featuring folklore music and dance shows, as well as parades and firework shows.
During celebrations, all the Kingdom’s streets are adorned with Saudi flags, while buildings are lit up in green, creating a stunning scenery that underscores the Saudi identity.
Green: Symbolizing Prosperity
Over the centuries, the Saudi flag has been an enduring symbol of the Kingdom’s rich history, dignity and unity. The flag carries a powerful national significance, instilling pride, solidarity and loyalty in the Saudi people.
Although the Saudi flag underwent some slight modifications throughout the years, green has remained as its dominant color. The green color is a symbol of growth and prosperity, reflecting the fertility and natural bounty of the Kingdom’s land.
Saudi Green Initiative
Recognizing the threats of climate change, Saudi Arabia has decided to proactively address its impacts. In March 2021, the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, launched the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI), in a move that emphasizes the Kingdom’s strong commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, as a crucial element of its Vision 2030.
The Saudi Green Initiative aims to achieve three main targets: to help the Kingdom achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, support its green transformation, and protect land and sea. To this end, the SGI has launched more than 80 initiatives to reduce emissions, enhance afforestation efforts and protect biodiversity.
Under the SGI, Saudi Arabia has made major strides towards building a more sustainable future, by enhancing environmental protection efforts, harnessing renewable energy sources, in addition to implementing sustainability programs in various sectors.
Tangible Results
The Saudi Green Initiative has set the target of growing 10 billion trees across the Kingdom’s Regions, and rehabilitating over 74 million hectares of land. This will contribute to restoring vital ecological functions, improving air quality as well as reducing sandstorms.
Since the launch of the SGI, the Kingdom has managed to plant over 49 million trees and rehabilitate 94,000 hectares of degraded lands, with the largest number of trees in the Regions of Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province. Moreover, there are more than 40 projects in progress, with the aim of planting over 600 million trees and rehabilitating 8 million hectares by 2030.
Global Recognition
In recognition of the SGI’s efforts, two parks in Saudi Arabia received an esteemed award, highlighting their excellence in managing green spaces, preserving the environment, and providing the best services to visitors.
In February 2024, Al Ghat National Park in Riyadh, and Waterfront Park in Yanbu, won the Green Flag Award, a non-profit international accreditation program that recognizes and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces.
Furthermore, the Saudi National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) completed several projects in July 2024, with the aim of planting 13 million mangrove seedlings in various Regions, including Jazan, Makkah, Madinah, Tabuk, Aseer and the Eastern Region.
Greener Makkah
The Saudi NCVC is playing a pivotal role in desertification efforts across the Kingdom. In January, it announced a 600% increase in the vegetation cover in the Makkah Region over a period of five months, from August to December 2023.
By the end of that period, green spaces covered 17.1% of the total area of the Makkah Region, mainly the mountains and highlands parallel to the Red Sea coast. This included the governorates of Makkah, Taif, Al Laith, Al Jumum, Al Kamil, and Khulais.
Riyadh: Green Metropolis
In order to make Riyadh one of the world’s top 100 most liveable cities, the Saudi government launched the Green Riyadh Project in March 2019. It aims to grow 7.5 million trees across the city, increase Riyadh’s green cover to 9.1%, and raise the per capita share of green spaces from 1.7 square meters to 28 square meters.
The Green Riyadh Project also aims to construct several large city parks, including Al-Urubah Park, Al-Munsiyah Park, Al-Rimmal Park, and Al-Qadisiyah Park. These parks contribute to Riyadh’s green infrastructure and improve the city’s urban environment.
King Salman Park
King Salman Park, a mega project announced in March 2019, aims to provide the citizens of Riyadh with unlimited experiences, with a variety of sports, cultural, artistic, and recreational options to improve the quality of life in the city of Riyadh, in line with Vision 2030.
Covering an area exceeding 16 square kilometers, King Salman Park is designed to be one of the largest urban parks in the world. In addition to the high-quality amenities and activities it will provide, the park will feature vast green spaces, over an area of more than 11.6 square kilometers. This will significantly contribute to increasing the region’s green vegetation and raising the per capita share of green spaces. King Salman Park will be operational in 2025.
