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Southern Province Cement Company, in partnership with King Khalid University, has launched the "Green Footprint" initiative to plant 8,000 local seedlings. This initiative is part of the company's strategic plan to plant half a million trees in and around its operational sites between 2025 and 2030, supporting environmental sustainability efforts and contributing to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
The initiative was activated under the patronage and in the presence of His Excellency the President of King Khalid University, Prof.Faleh bin Rajaaallah Al-Solami, and with the attendance of the CEO of Southern Province Cement Company, Eng. Aqeel bin Fattis bin Kadassa, at the Exhibition and Convention Center in the University City in Al-Fara'a. The event also saw the participation of prominent leaders from the university, government agencies, and the local community.
In his speech during the ceremony, the Vice President for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at the university, Professor Hamed bin Majdou' Al-Qarni, emphasized that the focus on and development of vegetation cover is a national priority that has received the support of the wise leadership since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – may God protect 1 him – launched the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative. He affirmed that King Khalid University, as a key enabler of the Asir region development plan, believes in the principles of integration and cooperation among all entities and components in the region to achieve ambitious national goals. He added that the university, under the direct guidance of its President and with its human resources, academic programs, research centers, and local and international partnerships, is committed to its role in promoting sustainability and actively participating in environmental initiatives.
For his part, the CEO of Southern Province Cement Company, Eng. Aqeel bin Fattis bin Kadassa, expressed his pride in activating this initiative within the university premises, stressing that it comes under the direct guidance of the company's board of directors and within its environmental and national commitment. He explained that the "Green Footprint" initiative aims to plant half a million trees in three phases over six years, starting with pilot projects in the first phase (2025 – 2026), then expanding to other regions of the Kingdom in the second phase (2027 – 2028), leading to the third phase (2029 – 2030), which focuses on enhancing achievements and measuring environmental and societal impact.
The launch of the initiative activates the commitment signed by "Southern Province Cement Company" with the National Afforestation Program to plant 500,000 trees. The National Afforestation Program is one of the fundamental programs contributing to the realization of the Saudi Green Initiative by building bridges of cooperation between sectors (public, private, and non-profit) to preserve the integrity of the environment and natural resources. It relies on the local plant species abundant in the Kingdom to carry out afforestation work in 13 regions, depending on rainwater and treated water for irrigation, in addition to relying on seawater for planting mangrove forests. The program also contributes to enhancing reliance on nature-based solutions for the development and flourishing of vegetation cover, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
The ceremony included two visual presentations highlighting the initiative's objectives and implementation phases. Subsequently, His Excellency the University President and the company's CEO symbolically launched the initiative by planting the first seedlings. Afterwards, His Excellency, accompanied by the CEO and esteemed guests, toured the accompanying "Green Footprint" exhibition organized by the company inside the exhibition hall. The exhibition included informative and awareness corners, including a special corner for local trees, during which a scientific and environmental explanation was provided on the characteristics of several Saudi trees, such as juniper, ghaf, dhayan, sidr, talh najdi, arak, sheeh, ba'eethran, qatad, and thumam najdi.
The exhibition also featured a display of sustainable fruit products produced by the company at its operational sites in the Jazan, Bisha, and Tihama factories, such as mangoes, lemons, grapefruits, dates, bananas, and guavas. Additionally, there was an informative corner on "green cement," which is one of the most common and widely used types of cement, characterized by its flexibility in most construction works, sufficient strength for general building applications, resistance to environmental conditions, and a low carbon footprint, making it an environmentally friendly option that reflects the company's orientation towards sustainable construction solutions. The ceremony concluded with His Excellency the University President and the CEO, accompanied by representatives of government agencies, the local community, students, and volunteers, moving to the outdoor area, where everyone participated in a symbolic planting of a number of seedlings in an interactive atmosphere expressing the depth of the partnership and the spirit of responsibility towards the environment and the enhancement of vegetation cover.
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