Saudi Arabia calls for stronger regional efforts for Middle East Green Initiative implementation

RIYADH — Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley emphasized the importance of regional cooperation and joint action to support the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) and to advance toward achieving its objectives of protecting the environment. He underlined the need to expand vegetation cover, and address the challenges of desertification, drought, and climate change. Alfadley, who is chairperson of the second session of the MGI Ministerial Council, also announced the launch of the initiative’s operational phase and preparations for the start of its ambitious projects.He made the remarks at the conclusion of the second Ministerial Council meeting in Jeddah on Thursday. The meeting was attended by 30 member states from Asia and Africa, in addition to the United Kingdom, which participated as a non-regional observer.Alfadley called for intensified efforts to rehabilitate degraded lands and combat desertification. He underscored how these actions are vital to overcoming the region’s challenges with drought and land degradation. Additionally, he welcomed the new members, noting that their accession is a pivotal step toward meeting the initiative’s ambitious targets.The minister praised the efforts of the regional member states to their national targets, which aim to expand vegetation cover through the planting of over 37 billion trees and the restoration of 92 million hectares of degraded land. Commending the progress achieved thus far—with 3.5 billion trees already planted and 550,000 hectares rehabilitated—he noted that these results demonstrate a steadfast dedication to both national and regional greening objectives.The Ministerial Council adopted several key decisions supporting the launch of the initiative’s operational phase. The council also renewed its commitment to enhancing regional cooperation to combat land degradation, halt desertification, strengthen resilience to drought, and adapt to its severe environmental, social, and economic impacts while mitigating their effects.The council welcomed the accession of Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, and Syria as new regional members of the MGI, bringing the total number of regional member states to 34, in addition to the United Kingdom as a non-regional observer. The council expressed its profound gratitude and appreciation to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for their outstanding support of the MGI. The council congratulated Eng. Ibrahim Alturki on his appointment as the secretary general of MGI.On the sidelines of the council meeting, the Middle East Green Initiative Fund Secretariat Agreement was signed between the General Secretariat of the initiative and the Islamic Development Bank. The bank will manage the fund to support the operational phase and the implementation of the initiative’s projects.

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