Saudi Arabia deploys mobile laboratory to drive afforestation and environmental goals
The initiative strengthens efforts to expand vegetation cover, restore degraded lands, and promote long-term sustainability across the Kingdom.
SAUDI ARABIA – Saudi Arabia has introduced a Mobile Laboratory to support its large-scale afforestation program, a move that program officials describe as vital to sustaining vegetation cover and combating desertification.
The National Afforestation Program said the Mobile Laboratory will improve how experts assess soil, water, and plant samples on-site. It also tracks environmental factors such as soil quality, moisture, and plant health, giving field teams instant access to precise data.
“The Mobile Laboratory provides accurate, real-time results that help us make faster and better decisions,” the program stated. “This reduces seedling loss and strengthens the long-term success of our projects.”
By reducing the time needed for analysis, the laboratory ensures that officials can choose the best locations and plant species for each site. This improves seedling survival rates, cuts costs from losses, and supports the broader goal of rehabilitating 40 million hectares of land.
The program also emphasized the role of its digital system, which uploads data instantly and connects to the databases of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification.
The Mobile Laboratory sits at the heart of the Kingdom’s National Afforestation Program, which forms part of the Saudi Green Initiative.
This initiative targets the planting of 10 billion trees, both to restore degraded land and to enhance the Kingdom’s role in regional and global climate action.
Officials stressed that the laboratory’s insights will provide a strong foundation for a national database on soil and vegetation conditions.
This database will guide future planting efforts and improve the efficiency of large-scale environmental projects.
Broader digital push in agriculture and food security
The laboratory announcement comes as Saudi Arabia also shares its digital progress in water, livestock, and food systems with the international community.
At the WSIS+20 High-Level Event held in Geneva in July 2025, the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture presented seven projects that apply artificial intelligence to farming, animal health, and water tracking.
Dr. Abdulhamid Aleliwi, General Supervisor at the Deputy Ministry for IT and Digital Transformation, explained one of the key platforms.
“We developed a digital tool that monitors livestock health and helps deliver faster, more accurate veterinary care,” he said.
Saudi Arabia also highlighted its Smart Platform for Monitoring Water Resources, which tracks groundwater across regions and supports long-term conservation planning.
“This tool gives us better visibility on water use and supports long-term planning,” Dr. Aleliwi added.
Together, these initiatives signal a push to integrate advanced technology into environmental, agricultural, and food security efforts.
The Mobile Laboratory, combined with AI-driven platforms, reflects the Kingdom’s broader strategy to meet the goals of Vision 2030 while strengthening sustainability both at home and abroad.
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