RIYADH — The Green Riyadh project announced the start of construction work of three major parks in the capital city of Riyadh, with an area exceeding 550,000 square meters, in the neighborhoods of Al-Munsiyah, Rimal and Al-Qadisiyah. Green Riyadh aims to make Riyadh one of the most liveable cities in the world. The new projects will raise the quality of life, provide recreational places for the city's residents and visitors, and raise the per capita rate of green spaces 16 times more than it is now and transforming the city of Riyadh into one of the most sustainable cities in the world. The designs of the three major parks located in the east of the city of Riyadh are distinguished by integrating and linking the nature of Wadi Al-Sulay with it, which extends through its east, in addition to its connection to the sports track through wooded pedestrian paths. The percentage of green spaces represents 65 percent of the parks' area, as more than 585,000 trees and shrubs will be planted. The parks include 18 km of walking paths, 8 km of running paths, 8.5 km of bicycle paths, and 22 play areas for children that will give them an educational experience in innovative ways to enhance environmental awareness. The parks also include green terraces, squares and open theaters for events and festivals, sports facilities that serve different age groups, and bodies of water that will have a positive impact on the surrounding environment. It is noteworthy that Green Riyadh is working on implementing major parks in various locations throughout the city, planting trees in residential neighborhoods, implementing neighborhood gardens, planting trees in interior streets, implementing wooded sidewalks and pedestrian paths, planting trees near mosques and schools, planting trees in parking lots, as well as planting trees in valleys and their tributaries, main roads and squares and in the premises of government and public buildings, such as ministries, agencies, universities, and cultural centers. The project is also working on implementing irrigation water networks with a total length of 1,350 km at the city level. Riyadh's green nurseries also work to produce three million trees, shrubs, and soil covers annually to provide the necessary afforestation needs. Green Riyadh is one of the major Riyadh projects, launched by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman at the initiative of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. It contributes significantly to achieving one of the goals of the Green Saudi Initiative and the goals of Vision 2023, which is the cultivation of 10 billion trees within Saudi Arabia. It aims to plant 7.5 million trees in the city of Riyadh, increase vegetation cover to 9 percent of the city's area, raise the per capita share of green space from 1.7 square meters to 28 square meters, and contribute to lowering the temperature and improving air quality by reducing pollution and dust. The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) is implementing the program to dramatically re-green the urban and suburban environments. Green Riyadh aims to make Riyadh one of the most pleasant cities to live in the world. Created within the framework of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, these projects are in line with the "Quality of Life" program, and are also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They will create more sustainable cities and communities and open the way for urban measures to combat global warming. Through the greening of the city, the objectives of this development serve the common challenges of many metropolises in the world: improving the quality of life, the environment, sport and leisure development, health and wellbeing, safety, participation and economic value creation. The greening initiative will in particular reduce CO2 emissions and temperatures in the city. In addition, the project will encourage the citizens of Riyadh to adopt a healthy lifestyle, which is part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
