Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed the importance of integrating national and regional efforts to strengthen cooperation and advance environmental sustainability, highlighting its ongoing initiatives to protect the environment and preserve natural resources.
The Kingdom reiterated its environmental action at the national, regional, and international levels through the Saudi Green Initiative and the National Environment Strategy at the 28th meeting of the Committee of Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Bahrain.
Speaking on behalf of the Kingdom, Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, outlined progress under Saudi Arabia's environmental initiatives.
He said the Kingdom had quadrupled the area of its terrestrial and marine protected zones, increased waste recycling by about 300%, rehabilitated more than 1 million hectares of degraded land and planted over 180 million trees. Saudi Arabia has also reintroduced more than 10,000 endangered species of wildlife, he said.
Faqeeha also highlighted the role of GCC countries in supporting the Middle East Green Initiative, which has brought together 35 countries.
He described Saudi Arabia's hosting of the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), in Riyadh as a turning point for the convention.
The conference adopted 37 decisions and launched several initiatives, including Business4Land and the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership.
Faqeeha added that the COP16 presidency continued to follow up on the implementation of the conference's decisions through the 17th session, held in Mongolia last month. More than 200 initiatives worldwide have now joined the Riyadh Action Agenda.
At the conclusion of his remarks, Faqeeha welcomed Egypt's hosting of the 18th Conference of the Parties in 2028 and expressed the Kingdom's readiness to host the next meeting of GCC Environment Ministers.