The inaugural ceremony was held at the new 35,288-square-meter Al-Shatie district park, which includes 1,800 square meters of green space, an 850-meter jogging path and a playground.

“This year’s Tree Week will be different from previous years. This year we are opening five new gardens to the public,” said Bahjat Hamoh, head of the Department for Parks and City Beautification at the municipality. “These are located in the south, central, eastern and western parts of Jeddah.”

This year's ceremony will include an art exhibition and essay readings by area students on the theme of environmental protection. The students will also hand out Tree Week pamphlets provided by the municipality.

“The municipality and the local Education Department in Jeddah have planned school trips to Jeddah's eastern forest,” said Hamoh, referring to the green space that has cropped up around the city's former dumping grounds for raw sewage that is currently being reclaimed as a green space.

“Members of the municipality will discuss with students topics related to environmental issues. We will also show them modern irrigation systems and agricultural equipment,” said Hamoh.