Saudi Arabia presents 66 initiatives to tackle climate change at COP27 in Egypt

Cop27: Albaraa Aldhahri
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Updated 08 November 2022
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Saudi Arabia presents 66 initiatives to tackle climate change at COP27 in Egypt

  • Initiative aims to improve quality of life in Saudi Arabia, protect next generations
  • Saudi Green Initiative was announced last year by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

SHARM EL-SHEIKH: Saudi Arabia has announced 66 new initiatives as part of its environmental plan at the UN global climate change summit taking place in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, officials said.  

The Kingdom has developed the initiatives according to four main pillars: the circular carbon economy; raising vegetation cover and reducing degraded lands; protecting wildlife habitats and biodiversity; and promoting sustainability, Albaraa Aldhahri, project manager at the Saudi Green Initiative’s environmental track, told Arab News.  

The SGI, which was announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last year, launched the second edition of the forum at COP27, with a large pavilion dedicated to the Kingdom’s pioneering climate efforts.  

Several national entities were involved in the event, including the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combatting Desertification, the National Center for Wildlife, Saudi Aramco, and SABIC, all under the umbrella of the Ministry of Energy.  

“Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (announced) the SGI to position Saudi Arabia at the vanguard of the fight against the climate change,” Aldhahri said, adding: “This initiative aims to improve the quality of life in Saudi Arabia and also to protect the next generations.”  

He said the Kingdom’s moves to achieve the three targets of the SGI will start by reducing emissions by 278 million tons per annum by 2030.  

“The second target (is) to plant 10 billion trees in the coming decades, also to increase the protected areas of the terrestrial and coastal areas by more than 30 percent of the total area of Saudi Arabia,” Aldhahri added.  

The protecting wildlife, habitats and biodiversity pillar will contribute to the target of increasing the protected areas by more than 50 percent by 2030, he said, while the promoting sustainability pillar is integrated in the other two pillars to achieve the SGI targets, where the energy ministry is the main participant at the summit.  

“If we are talking about the environmental track and the approved initiatives under these pillars, we’ll say that we have 39 approved initiatives under the raising the vegetation cover and reducing the degraded lands, we have 18 approved initiatives under protecting wildlife habitats and biodiversity, and nine approved initiatives under the promoting sustainability,” Aldhahri said.  

 Al-Hanouf Al-Abdulkarim, an engineer from the energy ecosystem within the Kingdom, said one of the main aims was to reduce emissions through the circular carbon economy with different initiatives and projects to meet the ambitious SGI targets.  

“Today we can showcase a lot of these projects through capturing CO2, the production of hydrogen and some other polymer-based materials, and a lot of the renewable energy sources like the polymer-based panels,” that are in display, she said.  

 Al-Abdulkarim added that their main aim was to showcase the initiatives and ambitions of the Kingdom, but was “unfortunately” only able to present a few as there are too many.  

“We have some of our polymer-based materials that are used from hydrocarbons and polymers, as well we have one of our hydrogen production plants breaking out ammonia into hydrogen, and were have ‘Archie’, one of our applications initiated and launched in the Kingdom with the help of Aramco,” she said. 

‘Archie’ is an interactive tool that tracks every drop of oil produced throughout the whole world from its source to its destination market and estimates the life cycle carbon intensity at any point in the oil supply chain. It aims to increase both the traceability and the transparency of end-to-end carbon intensity of every part of the oil supply chain, enabling investors, policymakers, companies, and consumers to make more informed decisions.  

Meanwhile, Ahmed Al-Nafie, from the Ministry of Energy’s Liquid Displacement Program, said the circular carbon economy initiative aimed to achieve the optimal energy mix in the Kingdom, with 50 percent gas and 50 percent renewables.  

“The Kingdom launched the liquid displacement program, which aimed to displace one million barrels per day across different sectors — utility sector, generation and desalination, industry sector and agriculture sector, by availing new energy sources, expansion of the master gas system, and the electric power grid.” 

He said one million barrels represents 95 percent of the liquid used in the Kingdom, and by 2030, the country will avail a new source and will displace this quantity of liquid.  

“The main objective of this initiative is to reduce carbon emissions, avail new power sources, and enhance the Kingdom’s economy,” he added.  


Saudi Arabia ‘categorically rejects’ Israel’s plan to seize Gaza territory

Updated 08 May 2025
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Saudi Arabia ‘categorically rejects’ Israel’s plan to seize Gaza territory

  • Israeli authorities on Monday approved plans to take over territory and forcibly displace population
  • Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemns Israel’s violations of international law

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has “categorically rejected” plans by Israel to expand its military operations in Gaza and seize control of the territory.

The ministry also “strongly condemned the continued Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law.”

Israeli authorities on Monday approved a new ground operation to take over parts of Gaza, forcibly displace Palestinians into the south of the territory, and control the distribution of humanitarian aid. The Israeli army is calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.

The announcement sparked widespread international condemnation. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said it stood firmly opposed to any attempted expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, and stressed the importance of holding Israel accountable for failures to comply with international resolutions.

The Kingdom continues to have “unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, in line with international legitimacy, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital,” the ministry added.


Saudi project destroys 600 more Houthi landmines and other explosives in Yemen

Updated 07 May 2025
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Saudi project destroys 600 more Houthi landmines and other explosives in Yemen

  • The devices, cleared from various parts of the war-torn country in recent months, were safely detonated on Wednesday
  • Project Masam has removed nearly 500,000 mines across Yemen since its launch in 2018

RIYADH: Members of the Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance, also known as Project Masam, safely detonated 600 mines, unexploded ordnance and other explosive devices on Wednesday.

The project’s engineers had demined and removed the devices over the past few months from various parts of Yemen, including the town of Beihan and the districts of Usaylan and Ain in Shabwah governorate.

Hussein Al-Aqili, commander of the project’s survey team, said they carried out the destruction operation in the Thahba area of Ain district on Wednesday as part of their ongoing mission to clear mines and other remnants of war in Yemen, and save civilian lives.

The project has cleared nearly 500,000 mines from the country since its work there began in 2018.

Last week, Ousama Algosaibi, the managing director of Masam, warned that the Houthis continue to exploit periods of truce to plant more mines across Yemen.

“We are in a constant race with the Houthi militias; we clear mines from one side while they plant more on the other,” he said during an interview with Al-Ekhbariya TV.


Saudi ambassador meets Bahrain King’s media affairs adviser

Updated 07 May 2025
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Saudi ambassador meets Bahrain King’s media affairs adviser

Saudi Ambassador to Bahrain Naif bin Bandar Al-Sudairi was received by Nabeel bin Yacoub Al-Hamer, media affairs adviser to the King of Bahrain, in Manama on Wednesday.

The adviser expressed his pride in the solid fraternal relations and deep-rooted historical ties that bind the two countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He also wished Al-Sudairi continued success in his duties, which will further support and strengthen the fraternal ties, mutual coordination, and close cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in various fields, and particularly in the media.


 


Saudi commission expands music access for people with disabilities

Updated 07 May 2025
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Saudi commission expands music access for people with disabilities

  • Push for accessible arts programming reflects wider goals for social development

MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia’s Music Commission has launched a national initiative to expand access to music education for people with disabilities, marking a key step toward their greater inclusion in the Kingdom’s cultural landscape.

Focused on Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar, the program trains instructors to teach students with physical and cognitive disabilities.

It supports the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to elevate quality of life and ensure opportunities for all segments of society.

Music education expert Issa Al-Qarbi praised the initiative as a transformative step in supporting individuals with disabilities.

“Music is a highly effective medium for stimulating brain activity, developing motor and social skills, and enhancing overall psychological well-being,” he said.

The initiative includes adapting teaching methods, specialized curricula and fully accessible learning environments aligned with the requirements of the Mowaamah certification, a program which provides support to increase participation among disabled individuals in the labor market.

In designing the program, the commission partnered with international experts in music on the curricula and programs that align with global best practices.

The existing models were reviewed using the standards set by the National Association for Music Education.

The commission’s goal is to empower students to express themselves through music, boost their self-confidence and enhance their social, cognitive and motor skills.

The students will receive extended training that prepares them for group performances while supporting their artistic, cognitive and social development. Sessions with parents and community members are also being planned to raise awareness and encourage family engagement.

Al-Qarbi said that long-term sustainability and lasting impacts could be ensured by closer partnerships between the education and healthcare sectors.

He praised the initiative as a regional model, opening the door to further research and innovation.

He said that teaching music to individuals with disabilities went beyond technical skills, nurturing essential personal qualities such as patience, discipline and social engagement, which in turn positively influenced many areas of their lives.


Saudi surgeons separate Egyptian child from parasitic twin

Updated 07 May 2025
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Saudi surgeons separate Egyptian child from parasitic twin

  • Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah says operation is one of the most delicate carried out by his team
  • Procedure takes 8 hours and involves multidisciplinary team of 26 consultants

RIYADH: A medical team from the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program successfully completed a surgical procedure on Wednesday to separate an Egyptian child from a parasitic twin.

The operation on 8-month-old Mohammed Abdulrahman Juma at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh took eight hours and was split into six stages. It involved a multidisciplinary team of 26 consultants, including specialists in anesthesia, neurosurgery, pediatrics and plastic surgery.

A parasitic twin, also known as a vestigial twin, is an identical twin that stopped developing during gestation and is physically attached to a fully developed twin. Because it did not fully develop, it cannot survive on its own and often dies in the womb or during birth.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who heads the surgical team and is an advisor at the royal court and supervisor general of Saudi aid agency KSrelief, said the twins were joined at the back, lower chest, abdomen and pelvis. The parasitic twin lacked a head and essential organs, including a heart and kidneys.

Al-Rabeeah described the operation as one of the most delicate his team has been involved with, and thanked his colleagues for their efficiency and skill during the surgery, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Mohammed and his parents flew to Saudi Arabia in March after King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman issued directives for medics in the Kingdom to help the child.

The operation on Wednesday was the 63rd separation procedure carried out under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which has reviewed 149 cases of patients from 27 countries since its inception in 1990.