Vegetation cover in AlUla Governorate has grown from 6% in 2018 to 35% in 2025, according to the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), whose rehabilitation programmes have brought back more than 5,100 hectares of natural rangeland and planted over 530,000 seedlings of 60 native plant species.

The RCU highlighted the results for Arab Environment Day, marked every year on October 14. This year's theme is the sustainability of natural rangelands and their ability to withstand climate change, desertification and land degradation.

In the Sharaan nature reserve, which covers about 1,524 square kilometres, controls on grazing and on activities that damage the environment have let native plants recover, and habitats are being prepared to bring back species historically found in the area, including the Arabian oryx, the Arabian gazelle and the Nubian ibex. Breeding and specialist care programmes for the endangered Arabian leopard continue, with a view to its future return to the wild.

Environmental work in AlUla also extends to urban planning suited to the desert terrain, sustainable transport and controls on outdoor lighting to limit light pollution and protect dark skies.

The RCU involves local residents through awareness and training programmes and jobs in environmental fields, on the principle that restoring the land underpins life, community stability and resources for future generations.