Kings Park and Botanic Garden is leading a world-first attempt to restore one of the largest deserts on earth in Saudi Arabia.
The ambitious project is the largest restoration trial of its type ever undertaken in the Middle East.
It will see the restoration of native vegetation to an area of more than 350 square kilometres of desert around the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
A team of horticulturists and restoration scientists from Kings Park have been commissioned to apply a full conservation strategy, from seed collection and processing to establishing plants into the degraded area. The trial is expected to provide clues as to how desert plants can be re-established in challenging climates, where annual rainfall is only around 20 mm.
