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RIYADH: The Green Qassim Land Initiative has made a significant leap in afforestation, planting a total of 7,521,316 trees across cities, governorates, and villages during its 15th phase.

This effort is part of an integrated plan to enhance vegetation cover, combat desertification, and improve quality of life, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

Launched in 2016 with support from Qassim Gov. Prince Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud and oversight by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, the initiative has grown steadily each year.

Salman Al-Swainah, director general of the ministry’s Qassim branch, called it one of the Kingdom’s most prominent environmental initiatives due to its tangible results.

The initiative runs in two annual phases — March and October — to ensure optimal climatic conditions for tree growth and sustainability, the SPA reported.

Al-Swainah highlighted that the initiative’s success stems from strong cooperation among government agencies, the private sector, environmental groups, and volunteers, reflecting rising societal awareness of afforestation’s importance for ecological balance.

Recently, the initiative received regional and international recognition at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Goals held at the UN headquarters in New York.

This recognition came during a presentation by Saudi Green Building Forum Secretary-General Faisal Al-Fadl at a regional session chaired by the UN Economic and Social Council.

Al-Fadl described the initiative as an integrated national model balancing environmental, economic, and social dimensions, according to the SPA.

He noted it has become a regional role model, planting millions of trees, creating hundreds of green jobs, and driving sustainable urban transformation.

The Green Qassim Land Initiative is a key environmental effort supporting the Kingdom’s broader strategy to expand vegetation, combat climate change, and achieve sustainability.

It also raises community awareness and promotes environmental volunteering, aligning with the Saudi Green Initiative and Quality of Life programs under Vision 2030.

Additionally, the initiative supports goals related to rural employment, clean water, sustainable cities, and responsible consumption and production.

RIYADH: ������Ƶ’s low-cost airline, flynas, has launched direct flights between Riyadh and Moscow to boost tourism between the two nations.

The first flight, welcomed on Aug. 1, was attended by Saudi Ambassador to Russia and Belarus Abdulrahman Al-Ahmed, flynas CEO Bandar Al-Mohanna, and Russian Deputy Transport Minister Vladimir Poteshkin.

The launch, in collaboration with the Saudi Tourism Authority, adds Moscow to flynas’ expanding network, supporting the Kingdom’s tourism and aviation goals.

Flights will operate three times a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — between Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport.

According to flynas, the new route offers Russian travelers a chance to explore ������Ƶ’s rich heritage and key destinations such as Diriyah, AlUla and the Red Sea.