The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) hosted a webinar titled “Smart Innovations for Saudi Arabia’s Green Future: Harnessing Creativity for Environmental Transformation,” bringing together leading local and international experts. The webinar aimed to explore the latest scientific and innovative approaches to addressing environmental sustainability challenges.
Further emphasizing the role of the Saudi Agenda, Dr. Khaled bin Abdullah Al-Abdulkader, CEO of the NCVC, emphasized the vital role of creative thinking in achieving the Kingdom’s environmental objectives. He highlighted the Center’s adoption of data-driven programs focused on restoring degraded lands, conserving biodiversity, and combating desertification, efforts designed to transform research outcomes into measurable field results.
Pursuant to the objectives outlined by Dr. Al-Abdulkader, Prof. Ahmed AlGhamdi, General Manager of the Department of Research and Innovation (GDRI), emphasized an approach to innovation that respects Saudi culture, enhances Saudi Arabia’s natural heritage, and anticipates future challenges. The event featured distinguished international participation, including Dr. Éliane Ubalijoro, CEO of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry Centre (CIFOR-ICRAF), who underscored the importance of equitable, science-based innovation as a cornerstone for ecosystem restoration. She emphasized the critical role that forests and agroforestry systems play in addressing biodiversity loss, climate change, and food insecurity.
Zooming to the field level, Dr. Aster Gebrekirstos, Senior Scientist at CIFOR-ICRAF, reiterated the organization’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with Saudi Arabia, highlighting that aligning rigorous research with international partnerships is essential to embedding sustainability and amplifying the regional and global impact of vegetation development initiatives.
Building on these insights, Dr. Amal AlDaej, an advisor at NCVC, stressed the pivotal role of creative governance in bridging innovation with scientific research and multilateral agreements. Furthermore, she highlighted NCVC’s initiatives to operationalize global environmental commitments at the national level via innovation-driven governance and targeted international cooperation.
Turning to applied research, Dr. Aseel Alsanteli, Senior Research and Studies Specialist at NCVC, outlined the importance of scientific expertise and its application in innovation. She presented several flagship GDRI projects, including the Native Plant Genome initiative, Wadi Qudaid Experiment Station, and the Saudi Forest Atlas, among others.
Dr. Shubhi Misra, NCVC Consultant, closed the webinar by marking both World Creativity and Innovation Day and Saudi Environment Week. In her recap, she emphasized NCVC’s renewed commitment to broadening data sharing, facilitating technology transfer, and driving collaborative field projects. Participants from across the globe reaffirmed that multilateral cooperation is vital to environmental strategy both within Saudi Arabia and internationally.
In continuation of these efforts, the NCVC continues to expand its strategic partnerships with government entities, the private sector, non-profit organizations, and regional and international bodies to drive initiatives that promote vegetation cover development and combat desertification. The NCVC also supervises rangeland and national park management, monitors violations against vegetation cover, combats illegal logging across the Kingdom, and safeguards natural resources, all supporting NCVC’s vision of a thriving, diverse vegetation cover that advances sustainability and enhances quality of life.
