Saudi Arabia Forest Information and Data

According to the U.N. FAO, 0.5% or about 977,000 ha of Saudi Arabia is forested, according to FAO. Saudi Arabia's forests contain 6 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass. Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Saudi Arabia has some 636 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 1.4% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 4.4% are threatened. Saudi Arabia is home to at least 2028 species of vascular plants. 2.0% of Saudi Arabia is protected under IUCN categories I-V.

The following contains data relating to forest cover in Saudi Arabia

Previous version of this profile (2009)

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Forest Cover | Breakdown of forest types | Change in Forest Cover | Deforestation | Primary forest | Planted forest | Forest designation | Forest ownership | Growing stock | Carbon stock | Disturbances affecting forest land | Removals | Removals Value | Employment | Forest policy | Human resources | Revenue | Agreements | Protected areas | Biodiversity - Wildlife | Biodiversity - Plants | Environment | Land use / Resources | Economy | Population / Demographics | Infrastructure | Health | References | Books

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Saudi Arabia: Forest Cover, 2010 Total Land Area (1000 ha) 200000 Total Forest Area (1000 ha) 977 Percent Forest Cover n.s. Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) 360 Primary Forest, % total forest 37 Other wooded land (1000 ha) 1117 Percent other wooded land 1 Saudi Arabia: Breakdown of forest types, 2010 Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 360 37 Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 617 63 Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) 0 0 Saudi Arabia: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010 TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 977 977 977 977 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 0 0 0 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 0 0 0 Saudi Arabia: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010 FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 977 977 977 977 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 0 0 0 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 0.0 0.00 0.00 Saudi Arabia: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010 PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 360 360 360 360 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 0 0 0 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 0 0 0 Saudi Arabia: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010 PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) 1990 2000 2005 2010 0 0 0 0 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 0 0 0 ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation 1990-2000 2000-2005 2005-2010 - - - Saudi Arabia: Primary designated function (percent) Production Protection of soil and water Conservation of biodiversity Social services Multiple use Other None or unknown 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 Saudi Arabia: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent) OWNERSHIP PATTERN Public ownership Private ownership Other 98 2 0 PRIVATE OWNERSHIP Individuals Business entities and institutions Local, indigenous and tribal communities - - - HOLDER OF MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF PUBLIC FORESTS Public administration Individuals Business entities and Institutions Communities Other 100 0 0 0 0 Saudi Arabia: Growing stock in forest GROWING STOCK IN FOREST Total (million m3) Per hectare (m3) Coniferous (million m3) Broadleaved (million m3) % commercial species 8 8 3 5 0 GROWING STOCK IN FOREST Total (million m3) Per hectare (m3) Coniferous (million m3) Broadleaved (million m3) % commercial species 6 5 Saudi Arabia: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010 CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (million metric tons) 1990 2000 2005 2010 6 6 6 6 CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (per hectare in tons) 2000 6 ANNUAL CHANGE (1 000 t/yr) 1990 2000 2005 2010 0 0 0 ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE (t/ha/yr) 1990 2000 2005 2010 0 0 0 Saudi Arabia: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005 FOREST FIRE 1000 ha % wild fire (not managed burn) 5 - EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE Insects Diseases Other biotic agents Abiotic factors Total (excluding fire) % of 2005 forest area 4 3 - - 7 1 Saudi Arabia: Trends in removals of wood products 1990-2005 INDUSTRIAL ROUNDWOOD Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) 1990 2000 2005 percent of which from forest 2005 0 0 0 - WOODFUEL Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) 1990 2000 2005 percent of which from forest 2005 - - 8 - Saudi Arabia: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005 Value of removals (million US$) Value per ha forest (US$) Industrial roundwood Woodfuel NWFP Total - 8 - - - Saudi Arabia: Employment in forestry 1990-2005 TOTAL (1000 full-time employees) 1990 2000 2005 1 1 1 IN PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF GOODS-FORESTRY (1000 full-time employees) 1990 2000 2005 1 1 1 IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION (1000 full-time employees) 1990 2000 2005 n.s. n.s. n.s. Saudi Arabia: Forest policy and legal framework 2008 National forest policy (year): Yes (2005) Sub-national forest policy: No National forest program (year) - status: Yes (2006) In implementation National forest law (year): Specific forest law (2004) Sub-national forest law: No Saudi Arabia: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008 2000 2005 2008 # % female # % female # % female 1376 - 1376 - 1400 0 Saudi Arabia: Forest revenue and public expenditure on forestry 2005 Forest revenue Public expenditure (1000 US$) Domestic funding External funding Total (1000 US$) Operational expenditure Transfer payments Operational expenditure Transfer payments Operational expenditure Transfer payments - 8273 10675 - - 8273 10675 Saudi Arabia: Status of ratification of international conventions and agreements as of 1 January 2010 CbD: UNFCCC: Kyoto Protocol: UNCCD: ITTA: CITeS: Ramsar: World Heritage Convention: NlbI: [an error occurred while processing this directive] Saudi Arabia: Environment Environment - current issues desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Natural hazards frequent sand and dust storms Saudi Arabia: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 1.67% permanent crops: 0.09% other: 98.24% (2001) Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper Saudi Arabia: Economy Economy - overview: This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 25% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly five and a half million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. The government has begun to permit private sector and foreign investor participation in the power generation and telecom sectors. As part of its effort to attract foreign investment and diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia this year acceded to the WTO after many years of negotiations. With high oil revenues enabling the government to post large budget surpluses, Riyadh has been able to substantially boost spending on job training and education, infrastructure development, and government salaries. GDP - per capita $12,900 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 6.4% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 3.3%, industry: 74.7%, services: 21.9% (2005 est.) Industries crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair Population below poverty line (%) NA Debt - external $34.55 billion (2005 est.) Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.) Saudi Arabia: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 26,417,599 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 2.31% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 13.5 Percent rural (2003) 12.3% Median age (years) total: 21.28 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 4.05 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% Largest Cities in Saudi Arabia Cities and urban areas in Saudi Arabia with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002. City Country City Population Urban Area Population Riyadh Saudi Arabia 3627700 3627700 Jiddah Saudi Arabia 2674000 2674000 Mecca Saudi Arabia 1541800 1541800 Medinah Saudi Arabia 818800 818800 ad-Dammam Saudi Arabia 675000 1549200 at-Taif Saudi Arabia 633900 633900 Tabuk Saudi Arabia 382300 382300 Buraydah Saudi Arabia 324900 324900 al-Hufuf Saudi Arabia 286100 784100 Khamis Mushayt Saudi Arabia 284700 284700 Hail Saudi Arabia 231000 231000 Kharj Saudi Arabia 198700 198700 Jubail Saudi Arabia 184000 184000 Hafar-al-Batin Saudi Arabia 180100 180100 Yanbu Saudi Arabia 156600 156600 Abha Saudi Arabia 146800 146800 Araar Saudi Arabia 141200 141200 al-Hawiyah Saudi Arabia 122700 122700 Unayzah Saudi Arabia 119100 119100 Najran Saudi Arabia 112100 112100 Saudi Arabia: Infrastructure Telephones - main lines in use 3,502,600 (2003) Telephones - mobile cellular 7,238,200 (2003) Roadways (km) total: 152,044 km paved: 45,461 km unpaved: 106,583 km (2000) Saudi Arabia: Health Life expectancy at birth (years) total population: 75.46 years male: 73.46 years female: 77.55 years (2005 est.) Infant mortality rate 13.24 deaths/1,000 live births HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) 0.01% (2001 est.) Saudi Arabia : References & Data Sources  Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005  Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005 & 2010) and the State of the World's Forests (2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001)  Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.  Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.  RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.  World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site  The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species  Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund  With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com Select a Country or Region INDEX Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Caribbean Cayman Islands Central African Republic Central America Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Cote d�Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic DR Congo East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea Norway Oceania Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Lucia Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South America South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States of America United States Virgin Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Vietnam Virgin Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Tropical rainforest information  World Rainforests  Rainforest Structure  Rainforest Biodiversity  Canopy  Forest Floor  Rainforest Waters  Indigenous People  Deforestation  Global Importance  Rainforest Conservation  Country Reports update soon  References  Deforestation Tables  The Amazon Rainforest update soon  The Congo Rainforest update soon  Deforestation in Brazil  Rainforest Images   Web mongabay.com Mongabay Rainforests Mongabay News Mongabay Photos