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Arab News
27-03-2025
- General
- Arab News
Kingdom celebrates Saudi Green Initiative
RIYADH: Thursday marked the second anniversary of the Saudi Green Initiative, a Kingdom-wide program designed to increase environmental awareness and motivate people to play their part in securing a healthier future for generations to come. Its goal to bring people together and bolster community engagement is key to raising the quality of life for all citizens and residents and aligns with the sustainable development goals of Saudi Vision 2030. "The actions we take today will define the environmental legacy we leave behind,' Dr. Khaled Al-Abdulkader, CEO of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, told Arab News. He went on to praise the 'bold leadership, pioneering strategies, and … unwavering commitment to sustainability' of Saudi Arabia. The initiative, launched in 2023, seeks to bind sustainable programs with the nation's broader green objectives, such as reducing toxic emissions, improving afforestation and land restoration, and preserving land and marine ecosystems. It is also testimony to the leadership's green vision and drive to position the Kingdom at the forefront of sustainable development on both a local and global scale. Saudi Arabia's leading role in protecting the environment was highlighted in December when it hosted the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, or COP16. The global gathering provided a platform for policymakers, business leaders and other experts to share ideas and insights on tackling environmental challenges and developing a collective path for green transformation. At the local level, the Kingdom's leaders have initiated a number of campaigns to raise awareness of the need for sustainable practices. Among them is Ramadan of Goodness, which encourages people to minimize food waste and be more aware of their consumption of vital resources like electricity and water during the holy month. It encompasses more than 85 environmental protection and green development programs, including the rehabilitation of 18,000 hectares of degraded land and the reintroduction of more than 7,500 endangered species through breeding programs.
Asharq Al-Awsat
27-03-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
‘Saudi Green Initiative' Day: Progress Continues Toward a Sustainable Environment
Saudi Arabia will celebrate the annual Saudi Green Initiative Day on Thursday, showcasing national efforts to promote environmental sustainability and combat climate change. The event comes as the kingdom makes significant progress toward the initiative's goals, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2021. The plan aims to cut carbon emissions, expand green cover, and protect natural resources. The Saudi Green Initiative has achieved significant milestones across various sectors in recent years, according to Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture. Since its launch, the kingdom has expanded its protected areas by more than 400%, rising from 4% of the country's territory in 2016 to 18% today. National parks have also seen a dramatic increase, growing 100-fold from 40,000 hectares to 4 million hectares, fostering vegetation across the kingdom. More than 300,000 hectares of degraded land have been rehabilitated through afforestation, protection efforts, and curbing wood-cutting practices, transforming once-barren areas into thriving landscapes. Saudi Arabia has planted around 140 million trees as part of its afforestation efforts, but success is measured by sustainability, not numbers, affirmed Faqeeha. He said all planted trees are native species and rely on renewable water sources, including dams, rainfall, and seawater. Mangroves, which thrive along the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coasts, are a key focus of these efforts. At the latest Green Saudi Initiative annual forum, Saudi Arabia announced five new initiatives worth 225 million riyals ($60 million) and signed 14 memorandums of understanding, coinciding with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16). Faqeeha highlighted the kingdom's global environmental leadership. During its G20 presidency in 2020, Saudi Arabia launched the Global Land Initiative, which was endorsed by all member states. The kingdom also introduced the Global Coral Reef R&D Platform, aimed at restoring coral reefs and advancing research and development, with participation from 100 countries. Investing in the environment yields significant returns, whether social, economic, or environmental, said Faqeeha. He noted that Saudi Arabia has allocated hundreds of billions of riyals to support the Saudi Green Initiative. The initiative focuses on two main pillars: clean energy and carbon emission reductions, and the protection of biodiversity and desertification combat. Investments in these areas exceed 700 billion riyals, with a substantial contribution from the private sector. Additionally, Saudi Arabia launched the Environmental Fund, one of the largest environmental funds in the region, aimed at promoting sustainable environmental practices. The kingdom also adopted a National Environmental Strategy, comprising 64 initiatives covering various environmental sectors, including natural and marine habitat conservation, pollution reduction, enhanced meteorological services, and waste management. Speaking recently to Asharq Al-Awsat, Adel Al-Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Envoy, highlighted that Saudi Arabia's investments and commitments within the Saudi Green Initiative encompass over 85 initiatives and projects, valued at more than $180 billion, underscoring the kingdom's dedication to achieving a sustainable environmental transformation.
Arab News
26-03-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Celebrating SGI Day: a journey of progress, unity, and bold ambition
The path to climate action is too often hindered by divisiveness and doubt. But in Saudi Arabia, we are not waiting for consensus — we are creating it. With optimism as our compass, pragmatism as our guide, and responsibility as our strength, the Kingdom is charting a course to build a better, greener world with an unwavering commitment. Not simply with words, but with action. The Saudi Green Initiative is a living testament to what purposeful progress can lead to… grounded in the belief that climate action needs not to be a distant hope — but part of today's agenda, fueled by the power of our collective will. This week, we celebrate the second annual SGI Day. It is a day to take a moment to recognize how far we have come. But also, to focus on what comes next and where we need to go to build a sustainable tomorrow. To come together with a shared sense of purpose. SGI Day is not just a commemoration. It is a rallying call across our nation and a reminder that everyone can play a part in a greener future. We will celebrate progress, not as milestones, but as inspirations for bolder steps, bigger dreams, and unrelenting momentum. Since its inception in 2021, the Saudi Green Initiative has led to unprecedented transformation and bold action. We are slashing emissions, planting forests where once there was only sand, and safeguarding our land, coastlines, and seas with determination. Last year, the Kingdom stood tall on the global stage, hosting the 16th Conference of the Parties, or COP16, to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification — the largest gathering of its kind. Nearly 200 nations united in a shared mission to heal the earth. The result? Over $12 billion pledged to combat drought and restore degraded landscapes — yet another example of Saudi Arabia's work as a force for good and its role as a bridge for global cooperation, uniting diverse interests in a common cause. At home, the fruits of SGI are blooming vividly. We are making rapid progress toward our renewable energy goals, with a portfolio now surpassing 44 gigawatts — 6.6 GW already lighting up more than a million homes. Imagine: a million families powered by the sun and wind, a million lives benefiting from the promise of clean energy. That is something that would have been considered a fantasy just a few years ago. Meanwhile, our hands are deep in the soil, planting over 115 million trees and breathing life into 118,000 hectares of once-barren land as we march toward our audacious goal of 10 billion trees planted, restoring 40 million hectares of degraded land — an area larger than Germany — a vision as vast as our horizons. And in our wild places, conservation continues to triumph with over 7,500 endangered animals roaming free once more, and cheetah cubs — born on Saudi soil for the first time in over 40 years — symbolizing nature's rebirth. These are stories of resilience and a narrative of a nation reaffirming its bond with the planet. Yet our gaze is fixed firmly on the future. In 2025, the world will gather at COP30 to weigh our collective progress — a moment that will shape the course of global climate action. As the current UNCCD Presidency holder, Saudi Arabia will not merely participate — we will lead. Desertification and land degradation are not abstract threats; they strike at the heart of economies, communities, and lives. We will champion solutions that will reverberate far beyond our borders, proving that environmental stewardship is inseparable from human prosperity. SGI Day is more than a celebration — it is a clarion call. To governments, we say: act with courage. To businesses, we urge: innovate with purpose. To every individual, we invite: join us with conviction. The road to sustainability is not paved by a single triumph but by the steady drumbeat of action — day after day, choice after choice. The future is not something that comes at us; it's something we create. Saudi Arabia is indeed creating that future, not with words alone, but with solutions that stand as proof: climate action is not a dream — it is a reality we are building together. The years ahead will test us all with defining choices. Saudi Arabia's choice is unwavering: to harness our momentum, pioneer answers, and deliver impact that endures. SGI Day embodies that resolve — a beacon of optimism, a commitment to action, and a promise that the greatest force for change lies within each of us. Let us seize the day together and show the world what is possible when a nation harnesses its potential. Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud is Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US.
Arab News
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Saudi minister Al-Jubeir discusses land reclamation, security at Munich conference
MUNICH: The Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir took part in a key dialogue session on land reclamation and security at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday. The session, organized in collaboration with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the Adelphi Research Foundation, addressed the link between land preservation and global stability. Al-Jubeir said land safety is essential for achieving security and stability, underscoring Saudi Arabia's commitment to combating desertification in partnership with the UN. He highlighted the Kingdom's leadership at COP16, which focused on the negative repercussions of land degradation and the need for sustainable solutions. Al-Jubeir outlined Saudi Arabia's local, regional, and international initiatives aimed at protecting land and addressing desertification. He also called for strong international cooperation to tackle the cross-border challenges posed by land degradation and urged global policymakers to implement effective strategies to safeguard both the environment and security.
