RIYADH: As the Saudi Green Initiative moves from setting targets to delivering results, a central challenge remains: How can the Kingdom grow more than 600 million trees by 2030 without placing further pressure on its scarce water resources? More than 159 million trees had been planted and 1 million hectares of degraded land restored by early 2026, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture announced in March. Thomas Crowther, professor of environmental science and engineering at KAUST,
