Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia — Tanmiah Food Company has launched an Al-Ahsa reforestation initiative to plant 100,000 trees across the Al-Ahsa oasis, one of Saudi Arabia’s most treasured landscapes and a UNESCO World Heritage site, in a new push under the Saudi Green Initiative.
The initiative was launched on 5 November 2026 at an official ceremony held under the patronage of the Governor of Al-Ahsa. It will plant eucalyptus and sidr trees across the governorate’s main cities, surrounding towns and natural landscapes.
Al-Ahsa reforestation targets desertification
The initiative directly supports the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative and Saudi Vision 2030: combating desertification, expanding green cover and restoring local ecosystems.
Al-Ahsa carries particular weight. The oasis is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant natural and cultural landscapes, so planting there ties the effort directly to the Kingdom’s commitments on desertification and ecosystem restoration.
The trees will go into public parks, streets, major roads, city entrances, open spaces and the region’s coastal and mountainous areas. Each location will receive species suited to its soil and local conditions.
Four partners, one plan
Four institutions share responsibility for the work. Tanmiah will implement the planting programme, Al-Ahsa Municipality will select and prepare the sites, and the Al-Ahsa Development Authority together with the Environment Fund will lead coordination and public awareness.
Planting will follow an integrated plan, beginning with site planning and species selection and the preparation of the necessary infrastructure, followed by planting, growth monitoring, care and ongoing maintenance. The approach is designed to make sure the new trees survive and keep growing long after planting day.
Circular economy behind the planting
The Al-Ahsa initiative forms part of Tanmiah’s broader One Million Trees Programme, which turns poultry by-products and recycled water from the company’s own facilities into resources that sustain new green cover.
Tanmiah has planted more than 550,000 trees to date under the programme, according to an agreement announced by the Environment Fund in October 2026. That agreement also covers a SAR 2 million initiative to plant 100,000 trees in Al-Ahsa in 2026.
“At Tanmiah, we believe sustainability is about turning commitments into meaningful action. Through our One Million Trees Program, we are transforming poultry by-products and recycled water from our operations into valuable resources that support a greener Kingdom,” said Zulfiqar Hamadani, Chief Executive Officer of Tanmiah.
The Al-Ahsa initiative also builds on Tanmiah’s earlier Saudi-Bahrain reforestation campaign, extending the company’s environmental work into new ground.
A wider planting wave
Al-Ahsa is not the only place where large-scale planting is under way. In Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Lands and Rural Development has launched a campaign called “Our Land, Our Care”, targeting 100,000 trees across the country’s ten provinces between 1 November and 1 December 2026, with 10,000 trees in each province, according to The Herald. The campaign complements a national target of planting 25 million trees during the 2026/27 tree-planting season, led by the Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe.
The planting wave also fits a global moment: the United Nations Decade on Afforestation and Reforestation runs from 2027 to 2036, and the Republic of the Congo launched it early on 6 November with 200,000 trees at Ignie. Tunisia has also unveiled a ten-year plan to restore 30,000 hectares of forest after years of wildfire losses.
Together, these efforts show how tree planting has moved from single campaigns to coordinated national and international programmes — with survival, care and local species now treated as seriously as the planting itself.
Key facts
- What: 100,000 eucalyptus and sidr trees to be planted across Al-Ahsa governorate, Saudi Arabia.
- Launched: 5 November 2026, at a ceremony under the patronage of the Governor of Al-Ahsa.
- Partners: Tanmiah Food Company (implementation), Al-Ahsa Municipality (sites), Al-Ahsa Development Authority and the Environment Fund (coordination and awareness).
- Programme: Part of Tanmiah’s One Million Trees Programme; more than 550,000 trees planted to date; SAR 2 million earmarked for the Al-Ahsa planting in 2026.
- Framework: Saudi Green Initiative and Saudi Vision 2030; Al-Ahsa oasis is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
