Paris: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia unveiled a series of groundbreaking environmental initiatives during the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), reinforcing its global leadership in sustainability efforts. Key initiatives included the Sand and Dust Storm Monitoring Initiative, the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership-supporting 80 countries-and the Business for Land (B4L) initiative aimed at enhancing private sector involvement in land conservation.
According to Saudi Press Agency, building on the momentum of initiatives launched during its presidency of the 2020 G20 Summit, including the ambitious Middle East Green Initiative, which aims to plant 50 billion trees across the region over the coming decades, the Kingdom continues to spearhead efforts to address climate challenges.
During COP16, Saudi Arabia, in partnership with several international stakeholders, launched the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, a transformative collaboration with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and other global partners. Additionally, the Kingdom introduced the International Drought Resilience Observatory and the World Drought Atlas, two initiatives designed to strengthen monitoring, implement preventive measures, and raise global awareness of drought risks.
Saudi Arabia's participation in the ChangeNOW Summit 2025 in Paris-as president of COP16 and representative of 197 states parties-serves as a strategic platform to promote its environmental initiatives, attract investment in nature-based solutions, and reaffirm its commitment to preserving ecosystems and combating land degradation, desertification, and drought.
Over its two-year COP16 presidency, the Kingdom will focus on fostering cooperation among countries, the private sector, financial institutions, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and civil society. Special emphasis will be placed on issues such as land degradation, drought, migration, dust and sand storms, as well as enhancing the role of women and youth.
Notably, under the Middle East Green Initiative, the first session of the initiative's ministerial council-comprising over 29 countries and international organizations-established a first-of-its-kind regional alliance to address climate change impacts in the Middle East and North Africa. The council also approved the secretariat's organizational structure and internal policies and appointed its fund trustee, advancing the implementation phase targeting the planting of 50 billion trees, restoring 200 million hectares of degraded land, and contributing to a 2.5% reduction in global carbon dioxide emissions.