Morocco and Saudi Arabia have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding focused on the sustainable management of forest resources and combating desertification. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of a high-level international meeting held from June 16 to 18, 2025, in Agadir. Designed to support the protection and restoration of forest ecosystems, the memorandum was endorsed by Morocco's National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF) and Saudi Arabia's National Center for Vegetation Development and Desertification Control, ahead of the 21st session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF21), scheduled for 2026. According to ANEF, the partnership aims to «strengthen technical and scientific exchanges» through the development of strategic and legal frameworks for forest management, restoration, rehabilitation, and ecosystem conservation. It also focuses on improving reforestation techniques, modernizing forest production infrastructure, integrating innovative technologies for monitoring, management, and restoration, combating sand encroachment, land degradation, and desertification, as well as enhancing applied research and expertise exchange. The memorandum further calls for intensifying reforestation programs, mobilizing local actors for shared governance, adopting cutting-edge technologies for efficient natural resource management, and actively contributing to efforts against climate change impacts. The two countries will also collaborate within the framework of the Green Middle East initiative, launched by Saudi Arabia in 2021 to promote regional cooperation on biodiversity conservation, ecosystem resilience, and sustainable development. Through this partnership, Morocco and Saudi Arabia intend to contribute to the implementation of the International Arrangement on Forests, as outlined in the UN's Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030.
