Saudi Arabia will host inaugural Green Middle East Initiative Summit in October

Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh will host the inaugural edition of the “Green Saudi Initiative Forum” and the “Green Middle East Initiative Summit” in October, according to a statement released by Saudi Press Agency.

The Kingdom’s organization of these two events comes within the framework of its determination to create a lasting global impact, in the face of climate change, the protection of land and nature, and a strong and effective contribution to achieving global goals.

For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The Kingdom sent invitations to attend the Green Saudi Initiative Forum and the Green Middle East Initiative Summit, to many world heads of state and government officials, in addition to CEOs of major companies, and several other heads of international organizations, academics, specialists in the environmental field and civil society institutions.

The Green Saudi and Green Middle East initiatives aim to plant 50 billion trees in the region and reduce carbon emissions by more than 10 percent of global contributions.

The two initiatives are part of the Kingdom’s serious efforts to strengthen its partnership regionally and internationally, in facing and overcoming environmental challenges.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had announced in March the “Saudi Arabia Green Initiative” and the “Middle East Green Initiative” that will both chart the Kingdom and the region's direction in protecting land.

“As a leading global oil producer, we are fully aware of our share of responsibility in advancing the fight against the climate crisis, and that, as our pioneering role in stabilizing energy markets during the oil and gas era, we will act to lead the next green era,” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said during the announcement of the initiatives.

During the announcement of the initiatives, the Crown Prince said that Saudi Arabia and the region are facing many environmental challenges, like desertification which poses an economic threat to the region and that air pollution from greenhouse gases is estimated to have reduced the average life of citizens by a year and a half.

The Saudi Green Initiative, the Crown Prince said, will work to raise vegetation cover, reduce carbon emissions, combat pollution and land degradation, and preserve marine life.

Both initiatives will include a number of ambitious projects, including the planting of 10 billion trees within Saudi Arabia during the coming decades, equivalent to rehabilitating about 40 million hectares of degraded lands. The initiative hopes to increase the areas covered by the current trees by 12 times.

Read more:

Saudi Arabia’s Green Riyadh project to plant 7.5 million trees

Saudi Crown Prince announces Saudi Green Initiative, Middle East Green Initiative