Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Global (RSG) inaugurated its first mangrove nursery project aiming to plant 50 million trees by 2030. The initiative will contribute significantly to Saudi’s bid to enhance sustainability and biodiversity.
Based along the Saudi west coast, the mangrove nursery project aligns with the Saudi Green Initiative. It is a long-term action plan for sustainability that seeks to address climate change. The project aims to conserve and regenerate the country’s Red Sea coast and increase absorption of atmospheric carbon.
“The power of mangrove forests to store carbon, manage flooding and stabilize coastlines, and provide shelter for fish and other organisms, makes them one of nature’s super ecosystems,” John Pagano, CEO of RSG, said in a statement.
“Our mangrove nursery will increase the number of mangroves and boost biodiversity, ensuring we reach the environmental ambitions we have set for ourselves,” Pagano added.
RSG set up its mangrove nursery in partnership with the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC).
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Choice of mangrove trees
Mangrove trees are considered ideal for environment initiatives. They can absorb pollutants such as heavy metals and other toxic substances from water. Consequently, this will help protect seagrass and coral reefs.
In addition, a healthy mangrove ecosystem can help stabilize the environment by removing and storing more carbon. Mangrove trees can absorb up to 5-10 times more carbon than other plants.
RSG’s mangrove nursery
The project aims to achieve a 30 percent net conservation benefit across the region by 2040, according to Raed Albasseet, RSG’s chief environment and sustainability officer.
Moreover, the RSG’s mangrove nursery project hopes to increase the number of mangrove forests in Saudi. This will enhance biodiversity and contribute to achieving Saudi’s ambitious environmental goals.
According to RSG, the mangrove seedlings will be nurtured for eight months in the nursery. Once they have grown to a suitable length, at 80cm, they will be planted in the special mangrove gardens throughout the RSG’s destinations.
Broader sustainability initiatives
RSG’s mangrove nursery project is the latest in its far-reaching sustainability initiatives. Previous projects included the first successful transplant of doum palms — known as Hyphaene — and acacia trees earlier this year.
In addition, RSG also established floating coral nurseries to help increase the number of coral reefs in the area.
Moreover, RSG conducts environmental surveys of wildlife ecosystems on a regular basis. In doing so, it hopes to enhance its sustainability strategy and initiate further action.
For instance, RSG has recently published a study on wildlife and the ecosystem. This was based on the results of the largest-ever survey on the environment, conducted in collaboration with a real estate developer in 2022. The survey covered an area of 250 sq km of the Red Sea coastline and specific areas from the Amaala destination, with the aim of assessing the condition of the area,
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