Israel calls for evacuations from south Lebanon, explosions in Beirut

A man stands amid the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes, as smokes rises over Beirut southern suburbs at Choueifat district, in Beirut on Oct. 3, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 03 October 2024
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Israel calls for evacuations from south Lebanon, explosions in Beirut

  • The call for evacuations from southern towns included the provincial capital Nabatieh
  • “Only that uncertainty lies ahead. Anxiety and fear are omnipresent,” UN special coordinator in Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM: Israel’s military urged residents of over 20 towns in south Lebanon to evacuate their homes immediately on Thursday as it pressed on with an incursion after suffering its worst losses in a year of fighting the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.
The call for evacuations from southern towns included the provincial capital Nabatieh, suggesting another Israeli operation designed to further weaken Hezbollah is imminent.
Israel, which has been fighting with Hamas in Gaza for almost a year, sent its troops into southern Lebanon after two weeks of intense airstrikes, escalating tensions in a conflict that risks drawing in the United States and Iran.
In Beirut’s southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold, three explosions were heard on Thursday and several large plumes of smoke were rising after heavy Israeli strikes.
While Hezbollah said it detonated an improvised explosive device against Israeli forces infiltrating a southern Lebanese village.
Overnight, Israel bombed central Beirut in an attack the Lebanese health ministry said killed nine people.
Reuters witnesses reported hearing a massive blast, which a security source said had targeted a building in the district of Bachoura a few hundred meters from parliament, the closest an Israeli strike has come to the central downtown district.
“Another sleepless night in Beirut. Counting the blasts shaking the city. No warning sirens. Not knowing what’s next. Only that uncertainty lies ahead. Anxiety and fear are omnipresent,” UN special coordinator in Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said on X on Thursday.

 


A Hezbollah-linked civil defense group said seven of its staff, including two medics, had been killed in the Beirut attack, which Israel said was a “precise” airstrike.
Israel also said it targeted a municipality building in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil killing 15 Hezbollah members, while more than a dozen Israeli missiles also hit the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed last week.
Eight Israeli soldiers were killed in ground combat on Wednesday in south Lebanon as its forces thrust into its northern neighbor.
As it pushes into south Lebanon, Israel is also weighing its options for retaliation against its arch-foe Iran.

ISRAEL, US VOW TO STRIKE BACK
The Islamic Republic launched its largest ever assault on Israel on Tuesday in what it said was retaliation for Israel’s assassination of senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders and its operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
On Thursday, Israel’s military said it had “eliminated” Rawhi Mushtaha, the head of the Hamas government in Gaza, along with senior security officials Sameh Al-Siraj and Sami Oudeh in strikes three months ago.
Tehran said its attack was over, barring further provocation, but Israel and the United States have promised to hit back hard.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking at an event in Doha, said Iran would be ready to respond and warned against “silence” in the face of Israel’s “warmongering.”
“Any type of military attack, terrorist act or crossing our red lines will be met with a decisive response by our armed forces.” Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani called for serious ceasefire efforts to stop Israel’s “aggression” in Lebanon and said no peace was possible in the Middle East without the creation of a Palestinian state.
What is happening in the Middle East is a “collective genocide” he said at the same Doha event, adding that his country has always warned of Israel’s “impunity.”
The Lebanese border front opened after Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel on Oct. 8 in support of Hamas in its war with Israel in Gaza.
Iran’s other regional allies — Yemen’s Houthis and armed groups in Iraq — have also launched attacks in the region in support of Hamas.
The Houthis, who have been firing missiles, sending armed drones and launching boats laden with explosives at commercial ships with ties to Israeli, US and UK entities since last year, said they launched a successful attack on Israel’s commercial capital Tel Aviv with drones. Israel said it intercepted a suspicious aerial target in the area of central Israel early on Thursday.
SHELTERING IN A NIGHTCLUB More than 1,900 people have been killed and over 9,000 wounded in Lebanon in almost a year of cross-border fighting, with most of the deaths occurring in the past two weeks, according to Lebanese government statistics.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said about 1.2 million Lebanese had been displaced by Israeli attacks.
More than 300 of those displaced have taken shelter in a Beirut nightclub, once known for hosting glitzy parties and where staff are now using their guest-list clipboards to register residents.
“We’re trying to keep strong,” said Gaelle Irani, who was formerly in charge of guest relations, taking a brief break from finding people a corner to live in.
“It’s just overwhelming. So overwhelming and sad. But just as this was a place for people to come enjoy themselves, it’s now a place to shelter people and we are doing everything we can to help and be there for them.”
Hassan Shaaban, a fisherman from Sidon, said he has been struggling to make a living as the fighting rages.
“What can we do, we need to be able to live, we are working while they are striking, yesterday night was very intense,” he said.

 


Morocco says 2024 ‘hottest year’ on record

Updated 3 min 57 sec ago
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Morocco says 2024 ‘hottest year’ on record

  • Moroccan climatologist Mohammed-Said Karrouk, who also heads Morocco’s National Future Planet Committee, warned that the kingdom’s geography and climate make it more vulnerable to temperature extremes

RABAT: The year 2024 was Morocco’s hottest on record, the North African country’s meteorological agency said on Friday, mirroring the record surface temperatures measured globally.
In an annual report, the agency said it recorded an average temperature anomaly of +1.49 degrees Celsius (+2.7 Fahrenheit) last year compared to the 1991-2020 period.
“The year 2024 stands out as the hottest ever recorded in Morocco,” it said, adding that every month in 2024, excluding June and September, had been hotter than the average for the 1991-2020 reference period.
Several cities broke daily heat records, with 47.6 degrees Celsius (117.7 Fahrenheit) in Marrakech and 47.7 degrees Celsius (117.8 Fahrenheit) in Beni Mellal in July last year, the agency said.
It also noted “an increase in thermal anomalies, particularly during the autumn and winter seasons.”
Morocco’s all-time heat record was set in August 2023, when temperatures hit 50.4 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in Agadir.
The country, which is enduring a seventh straight year of drought, registered an average rainfall deficit of -24.7 percent last year, the report said.
The agency said last year’s data reflected “an amplification of climate contrasts in Morocco, where prolonged droughts alternate with episodes of extreme precipitation.”
Torrential rains in September 2024 — causing floods and killing 18 people — “did not reverse the overall rainfall deficit,” it added.
Moroccan climatologist Mohammed-Said Karrouk, who also heads Morocco’s National Future Planet Committee, warned that the kingdom’s geography and climate make it more vulnerable to temperature extremes.
He said warming was now observed in all seasons.
“In autumn, lingering summer heat combined with gradually cooling temperatures favors violent downpours, which have become more dangerous due to excess humidity in the atmosphere,” he said.
“In winter, the heat originating mostly from warming tropical oceans now influences North Africa as well.”
A former member of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Karrouk also warned of a recent intensification of the West African monsoon — a seasonal wind system that brings moist air from the Atlantic Ocean — which he linked to the deadly September floods.
He called for the construction of shelters to protect vulnerable populations and dams to capture water — a valuable resource with Morocco’s unrelenting drought.
Weather extremes have taken a toll on farming, a vital sector for Morocco which employs nearly a third of its active population and accounts for 12 percent of GDP.
Scientists say that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming and that they are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense.
Fuelled by human-driven climate change, 2024 was the warmest year on record globally — and 2025 is projected to rank among the top three.

 


Hundreds of US citizens left Iran in last week, State Dept cable says

Updated 10 min 47 sec ago
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Hundreds of US citizens left Iran in last week, State Dept cable says

  • Washington is looking at ways to potentially evacuate its citizens from Israel, but it has almost no way of assisting Americans inside Iran

WASHINGTON: Hundreds of American citizens have departed Iran using land routes over the past week since an aerial war between the Islamic Republic and Israel broke out, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters on Friday.
While many left without problem, “numerous” citizens had faced “delays and harassment” while trying to exit, the cable said. It said, without giving further details, that one unidentified family had reported that two US citizens attempting to leave Iran had been detained.
The internal cable dated June 20 underscores the challenge Washington is facing in trying to protect and assist its citizens in a country with which it has no diplomatic relations and in a war in which the United States may soon get involved.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The cable was first reported by The Washington Post.

HIGHLIGHTS

• US advises land exits via Azerbaijan, Armenia or Turkey

• Some US citizens departing Iran faced problems, cable says

• Over 6,400 US citizens filled possible evacuation form in Israel

President Donald Trump and the White House said on Thursday he will decide in the next two weeks whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran war. Trump has kept the world guessing on his plans, veering from proposing a swift diplomatic solution to suggesting Washington might join the fighting on Israel’s side.
The air war began on June 13 when Israel attacked Iran and has alarmed a region that has been on edge since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023.
Israel is the only country in the Middle East widely believed to have nuclear weapons, and said it struck Iran to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons.
Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, has retaliated with its own strikes on Israel. Iran is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Israel is not.

POTENTIAL EVACUATION
The US State Department in a travel alert earlier on Friday urged its citizens wishing to depart Iran to use land routes via Azerbaijan, Armenia or Turkiye. Iranian airspace is closed.
The US Embassy in the Turkmenistan capital of Ashgabat has requested entry for over 100 American citizens, but the Turkmenistan government has yet to give its approval, the cable said.
The Islamic Republic treats Iranian-US dual citizens solely as nationals of Iran, the State Department emphasized.
“US nationals are at significant risk of questioning, arrest and detention in Iran,” the alert said.
Washington is looking at ways to potentially evacuate its citizens from Israel, but it has almost no way of assisting Americans inside Iran. The two countries have had no diplomatic ties since the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Thursday said the administration was looking at different ways to get US citizens out.
“We’re working to get military, commercial, charter flights and cruise ships for evac,” he said in an X post, urging US citizens and green card holders to complete an online form.
As of Friday, more than 6,400 US citizens filled out that form for Israel, a separate internal department email seen by Reuters said. The form allows the agency to predict an approximate figure for potential evacuations.
“Approximately 300-500 US citizens per day would potentially require departure assistance,” said the internal email, also dated June 20 and marked “sensitive.”
The State Department does not have official figures but thousands of US citizens are thought to be residing in Iran and hundreds of thousands in Israel.
Israel’s strikes over the last week have killed 639 people in Iran, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Israel says Iranian attacks have killed 24 civilians in Israel.
“The US Department of State received no reports of US citizen casualties in Israel or Iran,” the second email said.

 


A woman tried to call her mom in Iran. A robotic voice answered the phone

This picture shows a general view of Iran's capital Tehran on June 16, 2025. (AFP)
Updated 28 min 20 sec ago
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A woman tried to call her mom in Iran. A robotic voice answered the phone

  • “Calling your mom and expecting to hear her voice and hearing an AI voice is one of the most scary things I’ve ever experienced,” she said. “I can feel it in my body”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: When Ellie, a British-Iranian living in the United Kingdom, tried to call her mother in Tehran, a robotic female voice answered instead.
“Alo? Alo?” the voice said, then asked in English: “Who is calling?” A few seconds passed.
“I can’t heard you,” the voice continued, its English imperfect. “Who you want to speak with? I’m Alyssia. Do you remember me? I think I don’t know who are you.”
Ellie, 44, is one of nine Iranians living abroad — including in the U.K and US — who said they have gotten strange, robotic voices when they attempted to call their loved ones in Iran since Israel launched airstrikes on the country a week ago.
They told their stories to The Associated Press on the condition they remain anonymous or that only their first names or initials be used out of fear of endangering their families.
Five experts with whom the AP shared recordings said it could be low-tech artificial intelligence, a chatbot or a pre-recorded message to which calls from abroad were diverted.
It remains unclear who is behind the operation, though four of the experts believed it was likely to be the Iranian government while the fifth saw Israel as more likely.
The messages are deeply eerie and disconcerting for Iranians in the diaspora struggling to contact their families as Israel’s offensive targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites pounds Tehran and other cities. Iran has retaliated with hundreds of missiles and drones, and the government has imposed a widespread Internet blackout it says is to protect the country.
That has blocked average Iranians from getting information from the outside world, and their relatives from being able to reach them.
“I don’t know why they’re doing this,” said Ellie, whose mother is diabetic, low on insulin and trapped on the outskirts of Tehran. She wants her mother to evacuate the city but cannot communicate that to her.
A request for comment sent to the Iranian mission to the UN was not immediately answered.
Some of the messages are bizarre
Most of the voices speak in English, though at least one spoke Farsi. If the caller tries to talk to it, the voice just continues with its message.
A 30-year-old women living in New York, who heard the same message Ellie did, called it “psychological warfare.”
“Calling your mom and expecting to hear her voice and hearing an AI voice is one of the most scary things I’ve ever experienced,” she said. “I can feel it in my body.”
And the messages can be bizarre. One woman living in the UK desperately called her mom and instead got a voice offering platitudes.
“Thank you for taking the time to listen,” it said, in a recording that she shared with the AP. “Today, I’d like to share some thoughts with you and share a few things that might resonate in our daily lives. Life is full of unexpected surprises, and these surprises can sometimes bring joy while at other times they challenge us.”
Not all Iranians abroad encounter the robotic voice. Some said when they try to call family, the phone just rings and rings.
It’s not clear who is behind this — or what the goal is
Colin Crowell, a former vice president for Twitter’s global policy, said it appeared that Iranian phone companies were diverting the calls to a default message system that does not allow calls to be completed.
Amir Rashidi, an Iranian cybersecurity expert based in the US, agreed and said the recordings appeared to be a government measure to thwart hackers, though there was no hard evidence.
He said that in the first two days of Israel’s campaign, mass voice and text messages were sent to Iranian phones urging the public to gear up for “emergency conditions.” They aimed to spread panic — similar to mass calls that government opponents made into Iran during the war with Iraq in the 1980s.
The voice messages trying to calm people “fit the pattern of the Iranian government and how in the past it handled emergency situations,” said Rashidi, the director of Texas-based Miaan, a group that reports on digital rights in the Middle East.
Mobile phones and landlines ultimately are overseen by Iran’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology. But the country’s intelligence services have long been believed to be monitoring conversations.
“It would be hard for anybody else to hack. Of course, it is possible it is Israeli. But I don’t think they have an incentive to do this,” said Mehdi Yahyanejad, a tech entrepreneur and Internet freedom activist.
Marwa Fatafta, Berlin-based policy and advocacy director for digital rights group Access Now, suggested it could be “a form of psychological warfare by the Israelis.” She said it fits a past pattern by Israel of using extensive direct messaging to Lebanese and Palestinians during campaigns in Gaza and against Hezbollah.
The messages, she said, appear aimed at “tormenting” already anxious Iranians abroad.
When contacted with requests for comment, the Israeli military declined and the prime minister’s office did not respond.
Trying new ways to contact relatives
Ellie is one of a lucky few who found a way to reach relatives since the blackout. She knows someone who lives on the Iran-Turkiye border and has two phones — one with a Turkish SIM card and one with an Iranian SIM.
He calls Ellie’s mother with the Iranian phone — since people inside the country are still able to call one another — and presses it to the Turkish phone, where Ellie’s on the line. The two are able to speak.
“The last time we spoke to her, we told her about the AI voice that is answering all her calls,” said Ellie. “She was shocked. She said her phone hasn’t rung at all.”
Elon Musk said he has activated his satellite Internet provider Starlink in Iran, where a small number of people are believed to have the system, even though it is illegal. Authorities are urging the public to turn in neighbors with the devices as part of an ongoing spy hunt. Others have illegal satellite dishes, granting them access to international news.
The messages are making relatives feel helpless
M., a woman in the UK, has been trying to reach her mother-in-law, who is immobile and lives in Tehran’s northeast, which has been pummeled by Israeli bombardment throughout the week.
When she last spoke to her family in Iran, they were mulling whether she should evacuate from the city. Then the blackout was imposed, and they lost contact. Since then she has heard through a relative that the woman was in the ICU with respiratory problems.
When she calls, she gets the same bizarre message as the woman in the UK, a lengthy mantra.
“Close your eyes and picture yourself in a place that brings you peace and happiness,” it says. “Maybe you are walking through a serene forest, listening to the rustle of leaves and birds chirping. Or you’re by the seashore, hearing the calming sound of waves crashing on the sand.”
The only feeling the message does instill in her, she said, is “helplessness.”

 


Promotional tour for Alvarez and Crawford’s ‘Fight of the Century’ gets underway in Riyadh

Updated 41 min 37 sec ago
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Promotional tour for Alvarez and Crawford’s ‘Fight of the Century’ gets underway in Riyadh

  • The boxers will face off in Las Vegas in September for the unified super-middleweight title and a specially crafted Ring Magazine belt worth $188,000

RIYADH: Boxing superstars Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford shared the stage in Riyadh on Friday at the start of a promotional tour ahead of their highly anticipated bout in Las Vegas on Sept. 13.

The two champions, who will face off for the unified super-middleweight title and a specially crafted Ring Magazine belt valued at $188,000, appeared at a press conference in Boulevard City as part of Riyadh Season.

“My goal is always being in these kinds of fights: big fights,” Alvarez, the reigning undisputed champion with a record of 62 wins, 39 of them by knockout, told Arab News. “And I’m here again. So I feel grateful and excited.”

He added that the sport has developed and progressed in the Kingdom in recent years, adding: “Turki Alalshikh (chairperson of the General Entertainment Authority) has helped a lot. Right now we have boxing gyms here and they’re helping a lot of kids. So that’s very nice.”

Looking ahead to his showdown with Crawford, the Mexican fighter said: “I think this fight is going to be one of my best fights in my history, in my record. I’m very excited and motivated. This is what it’s all about. I want to make history.”

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Asked for his thoughts on his opponent, Alvarez said: “Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great fighter — but like I said, he’s not Canelo. He’s one of the top fighters I’m going to face in my career, for sure.”

Crawford, an American fighter who holds a record of 41 wins, with 31 knockouts, and is a four-division world champion, said: “This is my moment and I’m not letting Canelo take it away from me. It’s going to be an exciting day for boxing; history will be made.”

Alalshikh said the fight marks the beginning of a long-term partnership with Netflix, which will stream the bout to more than 300 million subscribers worldwide.

“We will do big things together and this is the beginning of a great relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the GEA and Netflix,” he added.

Asked what he hopes to see from the fighters during their bout, Alalshikh said: “I’m sure they will deliver for me smashing face and blood.”

As for the decision to stage the fight in Las Vegas, he described the city as “the capital of boxing.”

The promotional tour will continue in New York City on June 22 and Las Vegas on June 27.


How Saudi Arabia’s native wildflowers play a vital role in sustainability

Updated 21 June 2025
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How Saudi Arabia’s native wildflowers play a vital role in sustainability

  • The Kingdom blooms with wildflowers each spring, marking renewal, supporting biodiversity, and enriching cultural traditions
  • Hummayd, a native desert herb, thrives in arid climates and is prized in Saudi culinary and ecological heritage

JEDDAH: In the vast deserts of Saudi Arabia, a humble, yet remarkable, wildflower makes its mark each spring — Rumex vesicarius, known locally as hummayd.

Native to the Arabian Peninsula, this fast-growing plant thrives in sandy soils and plays a significant role in both the natural ecosystem and local culinary traditions.

“Hummayd is an annual herbaceous plant native to Saudi Arabia and widely distributed across its regions,” Arwa Alotaibi, a native plant researcher, told Arab News.

“Scientifically known as Rumex vesicarius, it belongs to the Polygonaceae family, commonly referred to as the dock or sorrel family.”

Hummayd is well adapted to desert conditions and is often found flourishing in arid environments. Its triangular green leaves and red or green flowers distinguish it from other wild plants. It typically grows to around half a meter in height and remains evergreen throughout its life cycle.

Due to its drought tolerance and minimal water requirements, hummayd is suited to Saudi Arabia’s harsh urban and desert climates, said Alotaibi.

“It is particularly abundant in the southern regions of the Kingdom, where rainfall is more consistent, followed by the Hijaz region, Najd, and the northern areas.”

Rumex vesicarius, known locally as hummayd, is an annual herbaceous plant native to Saudi Arabia and widely distributed across its regions. (SPA)

For generations, hummayd has held a special place in Saudi culinary traditions.

The plant can be eaten raw, with bread, or incorporated into tangy stews, Alotaibi said. In the Jazan region, it is especially prized for its unique acidic flavor.

“Rich in vitamin C, the plant aids digestion and helps reduce water retention, making it both flavorful and nutritious.”

Its cultural relevance is captured in a well-known Saudi proverb: “Spring has arrived with the coming of hummayd,” signifying the plant’s role as a seasonal marker of renewal and abundance.

Beyond its culinary and cultural value, hummayd is also ecologically beneficial, serving as vegetative ground cover, helping to stabilize hillsides, rehabilitate degraded land, and enrich green open spaces.

“Its presence supports biodiversity in desert ecosystems, providing a food source for animals such as camels, sheep, and rabbits,” Alotaibi said.

It is a tough plant that grows well in sandy, dry areas with very little water. It can survive harsh desert conditions and still remain green. (SPA)

As such, with its resilience, versatility, and deep cultural roots, hummayd is more than just a wildflower — it is a symbol of spring, sustainability, and Saudi heritage.

During spring, the Kingdom bursts with a bouquet of delicately fragranced wildflowers, blanketing the normally sandy landscape with a beautiful color palette.

The typical blooming period starts from February to April, with slight variations depending on plant type and geographic elevation. Some flowers may bloom as early as January, especially in the warmer southern regions, while others in elevated areas flower later.

“Wildflowers bloom across Saudi Arabia each year, with blooming seasons varying by region depending on plant type and climate,” Alstine Van Joshua, co-founder of the Saudi Botanical Society, told Arab News.

“In general, wildflowers bloom during spring, especially after winter rains when temperatures become moderate and there is sufficient soil moisture.”

Humaid (Rumex vesicarius) is an edible wildflower that blooms in the Saudi desert during the spring. It is seen as a sign the season of growth and renewal has arrived. (SPA)

In the northern regions, areas such as Jouf experience a burst of wildflowers following winter rainfall, while in the southern highlands, areas such as Asir and Al-Baha, known for their cooler climate and high elevations, support a wide range of wildflower species.

Najran and Jazan also boast rich plant diversity, especially among the region’s deep valleys and high mountain areas.

Even in the Kingdom’s eastern and central deserts, wild desert flowers grow in sandy and wadi environments, typically after prolonged rainfall.

These plants are highly adapted to the harsh climate and require minimal water, making them an effective tool in combating desertification and restoring ecological balance.

It is a tough plant that grows well in sandy, dry areas with very little water. It can survive harsh desert conditions and still remain green. (SPA)

“Native plants contribute to biodiversity by providing natural habitats for various creatures, such as birds and bees,” said Van Joshua.

“Their value extends beyond the environment to include cultural and heritage dimensions, as they are traditionally used in folk medicine and decoration during social occasions, especially in regions such as Najran, Asir, and Jazan.

“Reviving this vegetation reflects a deep commitment to protecting nature, improving quality of life, reducing carbon emissions, and achieving net-zero goals.

“It also supports the creation of a more resilient and sustainable environment that secures natural resources and green spaces for future generations.”

DID YOU KNOW?

• Hummayd has triangular evergreen leaves and blooms in red or green flowers. 

• It grows mostly in southern Saudi Arabia, but is found throughout the Kingdom. 

• The plant is rich in vitamin C and aids digestion. 

• It can be eaten raw, with bread, or cooked as a sour stew. 

The preservation of local vegetation is closely linked to environmental sustainability, and is considered one of the main pillars of reforestation projects and the rehabilitation of degraded lands.

Indeed, these plants play a vital role in stabilizing soil, preventing erosion, enhancing rainwater absorption, and restoring soil fertility. In doing so, they support biodiversity by providing natural habitats for wildlife and contribute to ecosystem recovery and stability.

“In the face of relentless drought, blazing sun, and cold desert nights, they stand with quiet grace, unyielding, patient, and strong beyond measure,” Munira Alhazani, CEO of the Saudi Botanical Society, told Arab News.

“These resilient plants reflect our own journey, the emotions we carry, the challenges we face, and the courage that blossoms in our darkest moments.

“It is our passion, a steadfast love for life, that fuels our onward journey. Yet beneath this strength lies a fragile hope, a whisper of fear that in a fleeting moment of weakness, they might tire, fade, and quietly disappear.”

People in Saudi Arabia eat Humaid raw or cooked for its sour taste and health benefits. It can aid digestion and is rich in vitamin C. (SPA)

Efforts to protect the Kingdom’s wildflowers align closely with the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative.

The Saudi Green Initiative aims to plant 10 billion trees within the Kingdom and rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land, while also improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions.

On a regional scale, the Middle East Green Initiative seeks to plant 50 billion trees, including 40 billion outside the Kingdom, in what is considered the largest reforestation project of its kind.

The initiative aims to combat desertification, reduce emissions, and enhance the quality of life throughout the region.

“Local vegetation plays a direct and foundational role in achieving the objectives of these national and regional initiatives, as well as in supporting Saudi Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” said Van Joshua.

“Through these efforts, the Kingdom affirms its pioneering role in environmental protection — locally and regionally — while striving to build a more sustainable future and ensure a better quality of life for future generations.”