المملكة: Green Saudi Forum…announcing investments amounting to 225 million and completing 86 initiatives

The fourth edition of the Saudi Green Initiative Forum was launched today under the slogan, “By nature we take the initiative,” in conjunction with the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), hosted by the capital, Riyadh.
The first day of the forum witnessed the announcement of five new initiatives with a total value of 225 million Saudi riyals (60 million US dollars), in an important step that highlights the pioneering role of the Queen in leading climate and environmental action efforts. In light of the total value of investments reaching 705 billion Saudi riyals (188 billion US dollars), the 86 ongoing initiatives within the framework of the Saudi Green Initiative continue to make tangible progress in achieving the goals of the three Rio agreements.

Saudi Green Initiative

The Saudi Green Initiative constitutes an essential pillar for achieving the Kingdom’s goal of building a more sustainable future for all, by reducing emissions, combating desertification, and protecting natural ecosystems.
The Kingdom is moving steadily towards achieving its ambition to reach zero neutrality by 2060 AD by adopting a circular carbon economy approach. This includes achieving the goal of the Saudi Green Initiative of reducing emissions by 278 million tons annually by 2030 AD and reaching the optimal energy mix by increasing The contribution of renewable energy sources to reach approximately 50% of the total electrical energy production capacity by 2030 AD.

Renewable energy

In line with these goals, the Kingdom seeks to increase renewable energy capacities in the energy mix to reach 130 gigawatts by 2030. 6.2 gigawatts of these capacities have been developed and connected to the network, while projects with a capacity of 20 gigawatts have been put forward during the current year, and the total current capacities are There are 44.2 gigawatts under development, which is enough to supply more than 7 million homes with clean electricity.
In order to achieve the goal of displacing more than one million barrels of liquid fuel per day, the highly efficient gas-fired plants equipped with carbon capture technologies are expected to provide a total capacity of 42 gigawatts for electrical energy production. To date, four plants have been operated with a total capacity of 5.6 gigawatts.

Work is also underway to establish five additional stations with a total capacity of 9 gigawatts, and award contracts to establish stations with a total capacity of 21 gigawatts, in addition to inviting bids for other projects with a capacity of 6 gigawatts in 2025. The Kingdom has begun construction work on one of the largest carbon capture, transfer and storage centers in the city of Jubail, which aims to capture 9 million tons of carbon dioxide by 2027 AD.

Sustainable development goals

Through the Saudi Energy Efficiency Program, the Kingdom continues to contribute to achieving the sustainable development goals by recording a noticeable increase in total primary energy savings, reaching approximately 539 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day by the end of 2023 AD, representing an increase of 9.5% compared to the end of 2022 AD.
The Kingdom has planted more than 100 million trees since the launch of the Green Saudi Initiative in 2021, in addition to scattering millions of seeds with the aim of developing vegetation cover and combating the phenomenon of sand encroachment.
It has also succeeded in reclaiming more than 118,000 hectares of degraded land, exceeding the area of ​​165 football fields, according to the dimensions approved by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), which contributes to achieving the interim goal of reclaiming 8 million hectares of degraded land by the year 2030 AD.

Planting millions of trees

The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden), the National Vegetation Development Corporation (Murouj) in partnership with the private sector, and the Food Development Company are responsible for implementing the five new initiatives.
These initiatives, which represent investments worth 225 million Saudi riyals (60 million US dollars), aim to plant millions of trees, including mangroves, sow 300 million seeds, rehabilitate degraded lands, reduce air pollution, and improve biodiversity across various sectors. Regions of the Kingdom.

Afforestation efforts

Through ongoing afforestation efforts, the Kingdom aims to provide the necessary components to protect current and future generations from extreme temperatures. Afforestation efforts represent an important step towards achieving the Kingdom’s long-term goal of planting 10 billion trees, which contributes to strengthening efforts to combat desertification and raise quality levels. Life in the Kingdom.
To date, the Kingdom has also succeeded in protecting 18.1% of its terrestrial areas and 6.49% of its marine areas, which cover an area of ​​approximately 400,000 square kilometers, in an important achievement in achieving the goal of protecting 30% of the Kingdom’s terrestrial and marine areas by the year 2030 AD.

Preserving the environment

The Kingdom has also achieved many notable achievements in the context of environmental conservation efforts, as it has succeeded since the launch of the Green Saudi Initiative in 2021 AD in resettling more than 7,000 endangered species in natural reserves, including the Arabian oryx, elk, and ibex.
In 2024 AD, the Kingdom announced the birth of four cheetah cubs for the first time in 40 years, which constituted a notable achievement within the framework of the national cheetah reintroduction program. In addition, more than 110 endangered red-necked ostrich babies were hatched in breeding centers. Fungal organisms during the year 2024 AD as well, which embodies the Kingdom’s success in reintroducing this species after its extinction from the natural environment 100 years ago. general.
The Ibex Reserve and the King Salman Royal Reserve have also been included on the Green List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in further evidence of the significant progress made by the Kingdom and the effective implementation of environmental management and conservation programmes.