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Saudi Arabia’s “Greening Arabia 2024” Forum and Exhibition, scheduled from 2 to 13 December 2024 in Riyadh, aims to showcase the Kingdom’s commitment to environmental sustainability. This event aligns with the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) and the nation’s pledges made during COP16. However, a critical examination reveals challenges in these sustainability efforts.

The “Greening Arabia 2024” event coincides with Saudi Arabia hosting the 16th session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16). Its objectives include promoting modern afforestation technologies, fostering environmental discourse, building sustainable communities, and encouraging community engagement in afforestation efforts (Greening Arabia).

Sustainability Commitments and Progress

At COP16, Saudi Arabia announced its ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060 and committed to reducing annual carbon emissions by 278 million tonnes by 2030. The SGI, launched in 2021, aims to plant 10 billion trees within the Kingdom and rehabilitate vast tracts of degraded land (Vision 2030). However, financial commitments fell well below targets.

Despite these ambitious goals, several concerns undermine the sustainability of these efforts:

1. Reliance on Fossil Fuels: Saudi Arabia remains one of the world’s leading oil producers, with the oil and gas sector accounting for a significant portion of its GDP and export earnings. This reliance on fossil fuels contradicts the Kingdom’s environmental commitments and raises questions about the sincerity of its green initiatives.
2. Environmental Impact of Mega-Projects: Ambitious projects such as “The Line” in NEOM have raised environmental concerns. Experts question the ecological impact of constructing massive mirrored structures in desert ecosystems, which could disrupt local wildlife and contribute to carbon emissions during construction.
3. Transparency and Accountability: Detailed reporting on the progress of initiatives like the SGI is essential. For instance, to monitor the success of trees that have been planted, data on survival rates, species selection, and long-term maintenance plans is necessary to assess the true impact of these efforts.

Saudi Arabia’s “Greening Arabia 2024” event and related initiatives demonstrate a public commitment to environmental sustainability and represent an ambitious step into a needed transition. Significant challenges will be overcome, and COP16 is committed to global collaboration.

Saudi Arabia’s “Greening Arabia 2024” related initiatives address notable challenges such as water scarcity linked to the country’s arid climate, soil, land and groundwater degradation mainly due to overgrazing and urbanisation, and biodiversity with the urge to protect the Kingdom’s unique flora and fauna. Knowing all that, the initiatives related to environmental sustainability also represent a powerful step towards uniting regional and global stakeholders around a common environmental agenda. Saudi Arabia’s hosting of COP16 in conjunction with the forum demonstrates a strategic alignment with international sustainability goals, especially those established at COP16. This partnership highlights Saudi Arabia’s willingness to engage in meaningful collaboration on issues like desertification, carbon reduction, and biodiversity conservation.

The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December 2024.

Moreover, the COP16 event provides an unparalleled platform for cross-border collaboration, bringing together global experts, policymakers, and environmental advocates to discuss both challenges and actionable solutions for sustainable land use and climate resilience. Through these efforts, Saudi Arabia positions itself as a regional leader in afforestation, carbon sequestration, and environmental restoration. If managed sustainably, these initiatives could have a transformative impact on regional ecosystems and communities.

The Kingdom’s commitment to technology integration and collaborative dialogue on environmental issues is commendable. By inviting the international community to participate in “Greening Arabia 2024,” Saudi Arabia reinforces its openness to learn from global best practices and to adopt innovative approaches in addressing environmental challenges. With continued dedication to transparency, community engagement, and long-term sustainability, these efforts could yield lasting benefits, contributing positively not only to the Kingdom’s landscape but also to the collective global mission of combating climate change.