Mohammed Alkhalid dreams of a greener Saudi Arabia. Alkhalid has been in love with trees ever since watching a seedling he planted more than 20 years ago grow into a magnificent specimen. By making it easy for people and businesses to plant trees, his environmental startup, Nabatik, is helping Saudis fight climate change and create meaningful connections to nature.
At the age of 7, Mohammed Alkhalid planted his first seedling in the desert in Saudi Arabia, an experience that profoundly affected him. Today, over 20 years later, he is inspiring thousands of people and businesses to plant trees and change the Saudi Arabian landscape forever.
As founder of environmental startup Nabatik, Alkhalid has made it easier than ever to plant trees. All an individual or a company has to do is select the number of trees to be planted and choose their location, and Nabatik takes over.
“We take care of everything,” Alkhalid explains. “We get the tree, we plant it, and we ensure its survival.”
Alkhalid’s journey has not been without adversity, battling Saudi Arabia’s harsh climate and economic hurdles. But he has persevered, driven by a deep-seated connection to nature and a determination to realize his vision of a greener kingdom. With support from Nabatik’s cofounder, Dr. Mohammed Alshaikh, Nabatik is helping others forge this same connection.
“We minimize the friction and costs involved in planting trees. Nabatik introduces transparency in climate action by collecting data for each tree planted and calculating its environmental impact.”
Mohammed Alkhalid, Founder, Nabatik
Every time Nabatik plants a seedling, a picture is taken and the location is logged on a map. Individuals and businesses who use the service to plant a tree receive certificates of ownership and can check in on their trees’ growth. Nabatik mainly uses native plants that do not require much water and can tolerate the kingdom’s climate.
This simple and transparent way of growing trees is helping companies across Saudi Arabia meet their sustainability targets and offset their carbon emissions. While the service is free of charge for individual customers, businesses pay Nabatik a small fee. Alkhalid says Nabatik’s service is much more cost-effective for companies than growing their own trees.
The startup’s efforts are fully aligned with the government’s Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to plant 10 billion trees and help the kingdom reach net-zero emissions. By 2030, the program will plant 600 million trees and reduce net carbon emissions by 278 million tons per year.
And the seedling that Mohammed Alkhalid put in the ground all those years ago? It is now a majestic tree, its lush green leaves providing shade from the relentless heat of the desert sun. Before long, hundreds of thousands of trees just like it will be flourishing across Saudi Arabia, thanks to Nabatik.
What gave you the idea to launch Nabatik?
I wanted to see the kingdom become green. Everybody thought I was naive. They said that Saudi Arabia was just dust and sand, with no rainfall at all. But Nabatik’s cofounder, Dr. Mohammed Alshaikh, was brave enough to believe in me. We joined forces and were able to tackle one challenge at a time. Planting trees now has become more accessible and much more affordable.
What are the benefits to companies?
We facilitate cost-effective carbon offsetting, aligning with the government’s carbon-reduction goals and companies’ sustainability commitments. We intertwine this with social upliftment by involving local communities.
We also prioritize transparency. We count every tree and use ground-level data collection, drones, and satellite imagery to monitor them. In essence, we offer a comprehensive, cost-effective, and community-engaging platform for corporate environmental stewardship.
How do you conserve water resources?
We always try to be innovative and to go along with nature rather than interfere with it. In some of our projects, we do not install new irrigation networks. Instead, we modify the land so that when the rain comes, it forms small lakes, and we do not have to use plastic to irrigate the trees. When we plant trees in city parks, we often rely on existing water sprinklers that are already irrigating the grass.
What are the main benefits of trees for ordinary people?
Trees are natural climate warriors. By providing shade, they reduce the overall temperature around homes, so they lower electricity bills. They play a crucial role in combating climate change and sequestering carbon emissions. They also improve biodiversity. In many areas where we have planted trees, we see many more animals and birds. When we plant trees in an urban location, we see families sitting beside the trees enjoying life and connecting to nature.
Trees can improve the quality of life for everybody in Saudi Arabia
