Manama, Nov. 9 (BNA): The National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) announced that it has received support from Dar Aqua and Agriculture Company for the afforestation of Al-Ghous Walkway in the Muharraq Governorate, and from SICO investment bank to plant trees along the Mazarea Highway in Northern Governorate.

The projects, implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning and the Supreme Council for the Environment, are within the national afforestation campaign, “Forever Green”.

The representative of the Dar Aqua and Agriculture Company Manager, Abdulla Al-Fahal, Muharraq Municipality’s Director-General, Ibrahim Al-Jowdar, senior officials, municipal council members and MPs attended the afforestation ceremony of the Al-Ghous Walkway.

During the event, the goals and developments of the “Forever Green” campaign were reviewed.

On the occasion, Dar Aqua and Agriculture Company’s owner, Ahmed Abdulkarim Bucheery, expressed pride in contributing to the national campaign, which, he said, is among the goals of the government.

He lauded the support of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of HM the King, to the agricultural sector, and her efforts to turn Bahrain into a green country, as it has always been, as reflected in her patronage of the “Forever Green” campaign.

On the other hand, the afforestation of the Mazarea Highway was carried out in the presence of Northern Governor, Ali bin Al-Shaikh Abdulhussain Al-Asfoor, SICO CEO Najla Al Shirawi, Director-General of the Northern Area Municipality, Lamya Al-Fadhala, MPs, municipal members and the relevant officials.

On the occasion, Al-Shirawi said: “We always strive to cooperate with the relevant institutions with which we share common goals to preserve the environment and adhere to sustainable practices that would help create a healthy, clean, and safe environment for the benefit of community members.”

“SICO will continue to introduce and implement new effective initiatives that would reduce carbon footprint and integrate environmental awareness and sustainability into our operations, in line with Bahrain’s target cut carbon emissions by 30 per cent by 2035 by doubling the number of trees in Bahrain,” she said.

She expressed pride in SICO’s success in being the first bank to contribute to such an ambitious initiative, stressing the bank’s keenness to carry on its efforts, based on the success of their first project to plant trees along the December 16 Avenue, in cooperation with NIAD.

She also commended the strenuous efforts exerted by the Northern Area Municipality and NIAD to protect the environment and beautify the kingdom.