DUBAI: Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, the region of recent unrest, is to launch a new eco-park mangrove, the country's local media reported. According to reports, the industrial city of Ras Tanura in the Eastern Province is to have the region's first eco-park and will be built by the national oil company Aramco, aiming to push the ultra-conservative country's ecosystem into a new light. “The park will become an environmental landmark in the Kingdom. There's nothing like it in the entire region," said Khaled Al-Abdulkader of the Environmental Protection Department in Saudi Aramco, in comments published by the country's Saudi Gazette newspaper. He added that it is part of the oil giant's push toward better environmental protection. According to press release from Aramco, the park is “part of the company's effort to plant one million mangroves over the next five years — an unprecedented number in the Kingdom's history.” The project is spearheaded by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD). It is scheduled to open in 2014. Mangroves are a natural habitat for marine organisms and serve as a breeding ground for shrimp, crab and fish species — the lifeblood of the Kingdom's fishing industry. Mangroves also absorb air pollutants and purify water by absorbing impurities and heavy metals. “The eco-park will have a huge impact on environmental conservation," continued Al-Abdulkader. “Because it will be open to visitors and will incorporate a boardwalk between mangrove trees — it means everyone can live the experience firsthand — educating the public is also a major part of this project."
