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Saudi Arabia, China to Cooperate on Parks, Reforestation and Anti-Desertification

A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)
A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, China to Cooperate on Parks, Reforestation and Anti-Desertification

A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)
A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)

A recent Saudi delegation’s visit to China marked a significant step toward deepening environmental cooperation between the two countries, with a focus on reforestation technologies and combating desertification, said Khaled Alabdulkader, CEO of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC).

Alabdulkader said the visit, led by Environment, Water and Agriculture Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, included high-level meetings and site visits to explore China’s pioneering experiences in land reclamation and vegetation cover development.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Alabdulkader described the trip as “rich and beneficial,” revealing that a memorandum of understanding was signed between the NCVC and China’s Gansu Desert Control Research Institute.

The agreement follows a Saudi Cabinet resolution passed in December 2023 authorizing the minister to negotiate and sign the MoU to strengthen cooperation in combating desertification.

The Saudi delegation met with executives from major Chinese firms to discuss launching joint investment projects in Saudi Arabia, including initiatives in natural resource management, rangeland rehabilitation, and the development of desert parks and eco-resorts, said Alabdulkader.

The discussions also explored transferring tree-planting technologies and desertification control methods as part of the Kingdom’s broader push to promote green economic growth and sustainability, he added.

“We aim to localize these technologies to help achieve our environmental goals and enhance sustainability in Saudi Arabia,” Alabdulkader said, expressing hope for expanded collaboration and further agreements building on the outcomes of the visit.

Talks also covered advanced techniques in mangrove cultivation, which are critical for coastal protection and boosting vegetation, as well as environmental protection innovations and the economic potential of invasive plants, including converting them into eco-friendly products.

Additionally, Alabdulkader held discussions with a Chinese environmental design company to explore cooperation on national park and wetland development in Saudi Arabia.

The visit, reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), aimed to strengthen the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and China in the sectors of environment, water, and agriculture.

The visit also sought to open new export channels for Saudi products to the Chinese market and facilitate the introduction of more than 20 new food products from Saudi Arabia.

As part of the official visit, the Saudi delegation participated in the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Exporting Saudi Products and Agricultural Sustainability.

The forum concluded with the signing of 57 agreements and MoUs between 36 Saudi and Chinese entities, with investments exceeding SAR 14 billion ($3.7 billion).

These included 26 export agreements and 14 MoUs between the National Center for Palms and Dates and various Chinese companies and government agencies, aiming to boost global visibility and exports of Saudi dates and date-based products.

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Varieties

Nearby Sculptor Galaxy Revealed in Ultra-Detailed Galactic Image

This undated handout image released by European Southern Observatory on June 17, 2025 shows a detailed, thousand-color image of the Sculptor Galaxy captured with the MUSE instrument at ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). (Handout / European Southern Observatory / AFP)
This undated handout image released by European Southern Observatory on June 17, 2025 shows a detailed, thousand-color image of the Sculptor Galaxy captured with the MUSE instrument at ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). (Handout / European Southern Observatory / AFP)
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Nearby Sculptor Galaxy Revealed in Ultra-Detailed Galactic Image

This undated handout image released by European Southern Observatory on June 17, 2025 shows a detailed, thousand-color image of the Sculptor Galaxy captured with the MUSE instrument at ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). (Handout / European Southern Observatory / AFP)
This undated handout image released by European Southern Observatory on June 17, 2025 shows a detailed, thousand-color image of the Sculptor Galaxy captured with the MUSE instrument at ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). (Handout / European Southern Observatory / AFP)

The Sculptor galaxy is similar in many respects to our Milky Way. It is about the same size and mass, with a similar spiral structure. But while it is impossible to get a full view of the Milky Way from the vantage point of Earth because we are inside the galaxy, Sculptor is perfectly positioned for a good look.

Astronomers have done just that, releasing an ultra-detailed image of the Sculptor galaxy on Wednesday obtained with 50 hours of observations using one of the world's biggest telescopes, the European Southern Observatory's Chile-based Very Large Telescope.

The image shows Sculptor, also called NGC 253, in around 4,000 different colors, each corresponding to a specific wavelength in the optical spectrum.

Because various galactic components emit light differently across the spectrum, the observations are providing information at unprecedented detail on the inner workings of an entire galaxy, from star formation to the motion of interstellar gas on large scales. Conventional images in astronomy offer only a handful of colors, providing less information.

The researchers used the telescope's Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer, or MUSE, instrument.

"NGC 253 is close enough that we can observe it in remarkable detail with MUSE, yet far enough that we can still see the entire galaxy in a single field of view," said astronomer Enrico Congiu, a fellow at the European Southern Observatory in Santiago, and lead author of research being published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

"In the Milky Way, we can achieve extremely high resolution, but we lack a global view since we're inside it. For more distant galaxies, we can get a global view, but not the fine detail. That's why NGC 253 is such a perfect target: it acts as a bridge between the ultra-detailed studies of the Milky Way and the large-scale studies of more distant galaxies. It gives us a rare opportunity to connect the small-scale physics with the big-picture view," Congiu said.

Sculptor is about 11 million light-years from Earth, making it one of the closest big galaxies to the Milky Way. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km).

Like the Milky Way, it is a barred spiral galaxy, meaning it has an elongated structure extending from its nucleus, with spiral arms extending from the ends of the bar. Its diameter of about 88,000 light-years is similar to the Milky Way's, as is its total mass. One major difference is Sculptor's rate of new star formation, estimated to be two to three times greater than that of the Milky Way.

Nearly 30% of this star formation is happening near the galaxy's nucleus in what is called a starburst region, as revealed in colorful emissions shown in the new image.

The observations have given information on a wide range of properties such as the motion, age and chemical composition of stars and the movement of interstellar gas, an important component of any galaxy.

"Since the light from stars is typically bluer if the stars are young or redder if the stars are old, having thousands of colors lets us learn a lot about what stars and populations of stars exist in the galaxy," said astronomer Kathryn Kreckel of Heidelberg University in Germany, a study co-author.

"Similarly for the gas, it glows in specific bright emission lines at very specific colors, and tells us about the different elements that exist in the gas, and what is causing it to glow," Kreckel said.

The initial research being published from the observations involves planetary nebulae, which are luminous clouds of gas and dust expelled by certain dying stars. Despite their name, they have nothing to do with planets. These nebulae can help astronomers measure the precise distances of faraway galaxies.

The researchers marveled at the scientific and aesthetic value of the new view of Sculptor.

"I personally find these images amazing," Congiu said. "What amazes me the most is that every time I look at them, I notice something new - another nebula, a splash of unexpected color or some subtle structure that hints at the incredible physics behind it all."