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Saudi Arabia Unveils Roadmap to Reach its 10 Bln Tree Target

A woman walks past the entrance of the convention center before the opening session of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Climate Week, a UN-organized conference hosted in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on October 8, 2023. (AFP)
A woman walks past the entrance of the convention center before the opening session of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Climate Week, a UN-organized conference hosted in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on October 8, 2023. (AFP)
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Saudi Arabia Unveils Roadmap to Reach its 10 Bln Tree Target

A woman walks past the entrance of the convention center before the opening session of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Climate Week, a UN-organized conference hosted in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on October 8, 2023. (AFP)
A woman walks past the entrance of the convention center before the opening session of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Climate Week, a UN-organized conference hosted in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on October 8, 2023. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia announced on Monday a roadmap to achieve its ambitious greening target of growing 10 billion trees under the Saudi Green Initiative, a project spearheaded by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Higher Committee for the Saudi Green Initiative.

The announcement reflects the Kingdom's commitment to addressing the environmental challenges it faces and to improving the quality of life of its citizens through the long-term economic and social benefits that will also be unlocked by the planting efforts.

The roadmap was announced at the second annual MENA Climate Week that is being held in Saudi Arabia from October 8-12.

The roadmap strategically lays out a plan for Saudi Arabia’s habitat zones to achieve the maximum potential vegetation cover. Additionally, it considers zones such as cities, highways and greenbelts to ensure that trees are planted where they can deliver ecosystem services that benefit the health and wellbeing of Saudi residents, the majority of whom live in urban areas.

City centers are projected to benefit from increased tree canopy cover which will reduce temperatures by at least 2.2℃ and improve air quality.

Extreme heat and ambient air pollution are some of the most prevalent environmental hazards affecting urban residents globally and are associated with a range of non-communicable diseases, such as respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.

Reduced CO2 levels is an anticipated benefit of increased tree plantation and green spaces in cities.

Over the course of implementation, jobs will be created Kingdom-wide to assist with efforts including tree growing, seed collection, landscape preparation and maintenance, development of urban water reuse networks, the creation of new parks and protected areas, and pioneering sustainability innovations.

Saudi Arabia’s tree planting target is one of the highest amongst any greening program globally. The Kingdom faces some of the most challenging natural conditions with rainfall, arable land mass, and forest area all below the global average.

The 10 billion tree target was originally announced as being equivalent to rehabilitating 40 million hectares of land. In the process of conducting the study, the target has been revised to 74.8 million hectares.

Planting 10 billion trees amounts to 1% of the global greening target and 20% of the Middle East Green Initiative’s afforestation target of planting 50 billion trees across the Middle East. Forty-one million trees have already been planted in Saudi Arabia between 2017 to 2023.

The roadmap is the outcome of a two-year in-depth feasibility study conducted by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) and the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC). The study was undertaken in collaboration with renowned multidisciplinary global and local experts.

The objective of the study was not only to make the 10 billion target achievable but to incorporate sustainable irrigation methods into the planting process and ensure that the trees and shrubs selected are compatible with the Kingdom’s native varieties and suitable to the selected environment.

Over 1,150 field surveys were conducted across Saudi Arabia as part of the study, including geospatial suitability analysis for vegetation cover, based on environmental conditions including soil, water, temperature, wind and elevation. The study included a thorough assessment of all possible sectoral domains in the Kingdom, leveraging science-based recommendations and technology.

The chosen roadmap will be implemented in two phases. The first, extending between 2024 and 2030, will focus on the environmental domain, taking a nature-based approach. From 2030 onwards, phase two will be implemented incorporating a fully comprehensive approach with the greatest level of human intervention.

The Kingdom is home to a rich diversity of over 2,000 species of flora spread across a variety of habitat zones including mangroves, inland marshes, mountain forests, rangelands, national parks and valleys. By 2030, over 600 million trees are expected to be planted.

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Olympic Tourists in Cortina Can Explore the Dolomites with the New ‘Uber Snowmobile’ Service

The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
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Olympic Tourists in Cortina Can Explore the Dolomites with the New ‘Uber Snowmobile’ Service

The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)

The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)

For one month starting on Saturday, Olympic spectators keen for a side trip to a UNESCO World Heritage Site can use Uber to reserve a ride on a snowmobile along the snow-covered road to the base of the Three Peaks of Lavaredo.

The dramatic, jagged limestone pinnacles stand just 23 kilometers (14.3 miles) from the Cortina venues where athletes are competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

One of the Olympic torchbearers, Giulia Baffetti, runs snowmobiling tours through Cortina-based winter activities outfit Snowdreamers. The company partnered with Uber, the official ride-hailing sponsor for the Games, to offer free tours on the weekends in February to people in town.

"Uber Snowmobile" tours, which can only be booked through Uber, include a ride in an Uber transfer bus for up to eight people from Cortina to the spot where riders mount their snowmobiles for departure. Tourgoers then follow the instructor, who leads the line of snowmobiles.

The first slots offered went fast, but Uber spokesperson Caspar Nixon said Friday that it planned to add more.

The three peaks are a magical place, Baffetti said, and this is a way for more people to experience it. Hikers and climbers flock there in the warmer months. In the winter, it’s a prime spot for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sledding. Snowmobiling is allowed in a limited area in order to protect the environment.

"We want to give an experience to the tourists, so they can feel the mountains in a different way," she said.

The Associated Press took the one-hour tour on Thursday, ahead of the Saturday launch, along with one other person. Helmets are essential, while heated handgrips are a most welcome feature. And that red button? Passengers can push it to stop the snowmobile if it veers off course or they feel unsafe.

The adrenaline-filled ride reaches speeds up to 40 kph (25 mph) when zooming past snow-covered trees, and drivers are instructed to slow when coming upon cross-country skiers and sledders. Deer and wolves are sometimes seen along the 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) route up to the base of the peaks.

Also visible on Thursday was the southernmost of the three Lavaredo peaks, rising sharply out of the fog. While the Dolomites are breathtaking from Cortina — and on Friday, the sun shone and the view was clear from town — they are even more impressive up close.

The route back includes a short loop around Lake Antorno. Before traversing all the ups and downs, the snowmobile instructor leading the tour offers a reminder about that red button.

Saher Deeb, an Israeli tourist, was along for the ride Thursday, one day after his 29th birthday. It was his first time on a snowmobile, and he was all smiles as he climbed off at the end.

"It was perfect," he said.

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French Duo Finish Walking from France to Shanghai After 1.5 Years

Performers throw molten iron to create sparks during a performance on the Bund promenade along the Huangpu river, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Horse in Shanghai on February 2, 2026. (AFP)
Performers throw molten iron to create sparks during a performance on the Bund promenade along the Huangpu river, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Horse in Shanghai on February 2, 2026. (AFP)
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French Duo Finish Walking from France to Shanghai After 1.5 Years

Performers throw molten iron to create sparks during a performance on the Bund promenade along the Huangpu river, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Horse in Shanghai on February 2, 2026. (AFP)
Performers throw molten iron to create sparks during a performance on the Bund promenade along the Huangpu river, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Horse in Shanghai on February 2, 2026. (AFP)

Two French adventurers reached the end of an epic walk from France to Shanghai on Saturday, after nearly a year and a half crossing 16 countries almost entirely on foot.

Loic Voisot and Benjamin Humblot embraced as they stood by the river on the Bund promenade, the financial hub's distinctive skyline glittering in the background.

Voisot and Humblot set off from Annecy in September 2024.

"We were thinking about this moment almost every day for more than a year now, so it's a really strong feeling," Humblot said of reaching their destination.

Hanging out after work one day, the two friends realized they both yearned for a "great adventure".

They wanted to visit China -- but without flying, which they believe is too harmful to the environment.

A plan to set out on foot was hatched, and except for a stretch in Russia which was done by bus for safety reasons, 518 days and around 12,850 kilometers (7,980 miles) later they took the last steps to completing it.

Around 50 people gathered at the start point for the last 10km stretch of their odyssey, many local people who have been following them on social media.

Along the way their numbers swelled, as media, French residents of Shanghai and others joined.

"If your dreams are crazy, just take it step by step and sometimes you will not succeed, but sometimes you will," said Voisot.

Asked what he would do first now the walk was over, he joked: "Sleep a lot!"

Varieties

Annual Orchids Show Brings Vivid Color to Chicago Winter

Orchids adorn a Volkswagen Beetle as finishing touches are placed on the 12th annual Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Glencoe, Ill. (AP)
Orchids adorn a Volkswagen Beetle as finishing touches are placed on the 12th annual Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Glencoe, Ill. (AP)
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Annual Orchids Show Brings Vivid Color to Chicago Winter

Orchids adorn a Volkswagen Beetle as finishing touches are placed on the 12th annual Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Glencoe, Ill. (AP)
Orchids adorn a Volkswagen Beetle as finishing touches are placed on the 12th annual Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Glencoe, Ill. (AP)

A soft layer of white snow blankets the grounds of the Chicago Botanic Garden. The air is chilly, the sky gray.

Inside, however, the air is warm and lights illuminate more than 10,000 vividly colored orchids. Staff members move in and out of greenhouses, preparing to open the garden’s 12th annual Orchid Show on Saturday.

This year’s theme is “Feelin’ Groovy" with several installations calling back to the 1970s, including a yellow Volkswagen Beetle filled with orchids.

“It’s just a really great way to get out of the winter cold and come into our greenhouses,” said Jodi Zombolo, associate vice president of visitor events and programs. “I think people are really looking for something to kind of bring happiness and something that they will enjoy and find whimsy in.”

The orchid family is one of the largest in the plant world and some of the species in the show are rare, exhibits horticulturist Jason Toth said. One example is the Angraecum sesquipedale, also known as Darwin’s orchid, on display in the west gallery.

Toth said the orchid led Darwin to correctly conclude that pollinators have adapted in order to reach down the flower's very long end.

"It has a great story and it’s quite remarkable-looking,” said Toth.

Elsewhere, massive, gnarly roots dangle from purple, pink and yellow Vanda orchids in the south greenhouse. These epiphytic orchids grow on the surface of trees instead of in soil.

“I think everyone’s tired of the winter,” said Toth. “So having some kind of flower show at this point is what we’re all craving. And 'Orchids' fits the bill.”

The show is expected to draw 85,000 visitors this year.