Mangrove Nursery: Story Behind the Story

By Mia Fant, Environmental Assessment Director

Mangroves stand as sentinels along our coasts. They are extraordinary plants; they are architects of ecosystems – providing essential habitat and supporting high biodiversity, protecting shorelines, and sequestering carbon. They form an integral part of the natural heritage of the Red Sea and are crucial for the survival of countless species. 

This year, on 26July, we officially opened our nursery, on the occasion of the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, in partnership with the National Center for Vegetation Cover. We also launched the Plant a Mangrove initiative to engage colleagues in contributing to our living landscape weekly, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response.

Our Mangrove Nursery, the largest of its kind in the region, is the first step of our journey to increase mangrove density by 30% and plant 50 million mangroves by 2030. This effort is aligned with the Saudi Green Initiative and RSG's commitment to conserving the Red Sea coast, enhancing the environment, and achieving a 30% net gain in conservation benefit by 2040. 

We have already planted 1 million native mangrove seedlings, nurturing them for eight months before transplanting them into designated locations on Phase One Islands and mangrove parks, aiding carbon sequestration and enhancing biodiversity. The Nursery is entirely made from seeds harvested at Al Wajh Lagoon.

My journey in environmental sustainability has been fueled by a commitment to safeguarding the environment and biodiversity. After working on a wide range of environmental projects across the world and cultivating deep expertise in environmental and social assessments, climate resilience, disaster risk management, and ecology, I found my path leading to the Red Sea's shores. Here, at the Mangrove Nursery, our mission echoes nature’s regeneration and sustainability ethos.

The first half of our Mangrove Nursery was developed in collaboration with the National Center for Vegetation Conservation (NCVC) to supply 500,000 mangroves. The Nursery has been extended in collaboration with our partner, Leaf Global, to grow another 500,000 mangroves. 

Our on-site Nursery team consists of four colleagues from our Corporate Environment & Sustainability (E&S) division who oversee the work of Leaf Global, who supplies and plants the mangrove seeds. Our E&S team is composed of Saudi nationals, while Leaf Global has British, Filipino, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi team members.

In the initial stages, our team conducted daily visits to the nursery to monitor progress and guide our partner. These visits were later adjusted to three times weekly, focusing on overseeing Leaf Global's work, inspecting the seedlings' health, and ensuring optimal water flow to the mangrove seedlings.

I work with the Environmental Assessment and Planning team to identify and plan for the environmental restoration and compensations required to offset the impact of our developments. This resulted in the development of the Mangrove Compensation Plan for The Red Sea destination, facilitating transplantation of nursery-grown mangroves, managed by on-site experts for optimal growth before transplanting them at selected locations across our assets. 

Our story at the Mangrove Nursery is just beginning. It’s a story that weaves together the threads of sustainability, resilience, and regenerative development – a narrative that we are proud to share globally.