A pulse check from Arab News on the Kingdom’s green and blue initiatives
When Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the twin launch of the Saudi and Middle East Green initiatives in March 2021, he made clear the scale of the challenge he was setting for both the Kingdom and the wider region.
As a major oil producer, Saudi Arabia fully recognized its share of responsibility in advancing the fight against the climate crisis and “we are not avoiding tough choices,” he said. “Just as the Kingdom underpinned energy markets during the oil and gas era, it is going to become a global leader in forging a greener world.” The issue of sustainability is a key part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. At the launch of the wide-ranging blueprint for the Kingdom’s future in 2016, the crown prince said climate action would “enhance competitiveness, spark innovation and create millions of high-quality jobs. “Young people, both in the Kingdom and the world, are demanding a cleaner, greener and more inclusive future, and we owe it to them to deliver on this.”
The story of how Saudi Arabia is fulfilling that pledge is a remarkable one that deserves to be explained in detail. That is why Arab News decided to launch a new section, Green and Blue, dedicated to coverage of this historic journey.
Since the inaugural SGI forum in Riyadh in October 2021, more than 80 programs have been set in motion, designed to help the Kingdom hit three key targets: reducing emissions, greening the country, and protecting land and sea.
With 7,572 km of coastline and the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf lapping its shores, Saudi Arabia has joined the Global Ocean Alliance, dedicated to protecting marine environments. Under the auspices of the SGI, tens of thousands of homes are being powered by clean energy, and numerous wind, solar, green hydrogen and carbon-capture projects are either live or under way, helping Saudi Arabia achieve net-zero by 2060.
The ambition to green the country entails a commitment to plant 10 billion trees and rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land, while some 30 percent of Saudi Arabia’s land and sea will be designated as protected territory. This will create habitats in which indigenous fauna and flora can thrive and, where necessary, be reintroduced.
Through the MGI, Saudi Arabia is promoting sustainability across the entire region.
At the inaugural MGI summit in Sharm El-Sheikh in November 2022, the crown prince announced the Kingdom would host the organization’s headquarters and contribute $2.5 billion to its operations.
These included plans to reduce carbon emissions by more than 60 percent, plant 50 billion trees, and restore 200 million hectares of degraded land. In other words, there are many stories to be told. Every Saturday, Green and Blue’s dedicated writers, Haifa Alshammari, Sulafa Alkuniazi and Nada Alturki, will tell those stories. Each week, Green and Blue will also feature a column from an expert on the week’s topic.
Saudi Arabia has set itself an ambitious target. Achieving it will demand much of all of us.
But we at Arab News believe the efforts and sacrifices will be worth it to preserve our green and blue planet. The determination and achievements of the Saudi and Middle East Green initiatives should be documented and celebrated as an inspiration.