Al-Baha has become the first region in Saudi Arabia where a network of watchtowers and thermal cameras to spot fires early and protect forests and vegetation is fully in place. Twenty towers with thermal cameras are now operating and connected to a central system, bringing the project to 100% completion. The work was carried out by the Al-Baha branch of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification.

Branch Director General Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Zahrani said the system, inaugurated recently by the Emir of Al-Baha Region, uses solar-powered steel towers 20 meters high. Their advanced cameras can pick up smoke and heat signatures and pinpoint hotspots, and are tied into geographic information systems so that teams can respond and decide quickly.

The network is part of a strategic initiative to install 100 towers and thermal cameras in the Al-Baha, Aseer, Makkah, Jazan and Najran regions, to better protect natural resources and support Saudi Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative.