The Makkah region in Saudi Arabia has experienced a remarkable increase of 600% in vegetation cover over the past five months, as reported by the Saudi government.
This substantial growth occurred from August to December 2023, primarily due to higher rainfall levels, reaching up to 200mm in some areas. The Saudi National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification provided this information, highlighting the expansion of green cover from 3,529.4 square kilometers (2.3% of the region’s total area) in August to 26,256 square kilometers (17.1% of the region’s area) later on.
The increased greenery was particularly noticeable in mountainous and highland areas along the Red Sea coast, including Makkah city, Taif, Al Laith, Al Jumum, Al Kamil, and Khulais.