DAMMAM: Significant strides were made by the Eastern Province Municipality last year in its efforts towards vegetation expansion and anti-desertification.

The initiative, designed to counter industrial pollution, improve air quality and move towards environmental sustainability, has focused on introducing climate-appropriate trees and flowers while adhering to scientific afforestation guidelines and controls.

Throughout the year, the municipality launched 87 initiatives involving more than 1,200 volunteers across 60 parks. This included the Dammam Corniche waterfront and its walking trails where some 680,000 trees and shrubs were planted, complemented by 7.7 million flowers, expanding green coverage by 205,000 sq. meters.

Work was also carried out to rehabilitate streets and other spaces, while technical upgrades included maintenance work on 200 pumps and the installation of irrigation networks covering 30 km of streets.

There was also progress for the park investment program, with four parks already under investment management and 400 more designated for future opportunities.

The municipality emphasized the project’s collaborative nature, highlighting the active participation of community members, government bodies and the private sector companies. Its inclusive approach aims to cultivate a lasting environmental consciousness and ensure sustainability practices are passed down to future generations.

RIYADH: The Saudi General Directorate of Passports has said that resident identities must be valid for at least 30 days when applying for a final exit visa.

The directorate addressed employers, stating that if a resident identity is valid for fewer than 30 days, the final exit visa may not be issued. In that case, the resident identity must be renewed for the issuance of the final exit visa.

It noted that if a resident identity is valid for more than 30 days and fewer than 60 days, a final exit visa may be issued for the resident identity’s remaining period.

If the resident identity is valid for 60 days or more, the final exit visa may be issued for 60 days only.

The directorate noted that employers may issue final exit visas for their sponsored workers or affiliated family members through the Ministry of Interior’s Absher Business platform, and the Muqeem portal.