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RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held separate phone calls on Monday with his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani and EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas, amid growing regional concern over the escalation between Israel and Iran.

According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the calls focused on the latest regional developments and their broader international implications.

Both sides reviewed ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at containing the fallout from Israel’s recent strikes on Iranian targets and Tehran's retaliation, which have prompted fears of a wider confrontation in the Middle East.

RIYADH: More than 31 million trees have been planted in ����ֱ��’s Eastern Province as part of a nationwide afforestation project, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

The trees were planted by the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, working with 51 other entities, under a program launched in November.

The authorities aim to plant 1.5 billion trees in the province by 2100, rehabilitating more than 7.9 million hectares of land.

The scheme is part of the nationwide Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to plant 10 billion trees — 600 million by 2030 — and rehabilitate more than 40 million hectares of land.

As well as planting trees, the center has been engaged in a program of environmental monitoring, combating illegal logging and raising public awareness across the Eastern Province.

It also works to prevent sand encroachment in farming areas that are at risk of soil degradation and uses native plant species to populate its afforestation areas in order to maintain the ecological balance of local habitats.

The center also organizes the National Afforestation Season in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.