The second Middle East and North Africa Climate Week (MENACW) was held from 9-12 October 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under the theme, “Advancing Inclusivity and Circularity for Just and Equitable Energy Transitions” and marked the attendance of over 9000 participants and over 240 sessions. It was organized by the UN Environment Program (UNEP), the UN...
NEOM An example of an exemplary community in Saudi Arabia that has shown a commitment to climate mitigation is the city of Neom. Planned as a part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, Neom is a high-profile development project that aims to be a model of sustainability and advanced technology. While it’s still under development, its...
Dear Albara Tawfiq, Policy Advisor, Ministry of Energy and lead negotiator of Saudi Arabia’s Delegation to COP27, Tawfiqaez@gmail.com Our names are Abeer Abdulkareem and Amgad Ellaboudy. We are Country Managers for Saudi Arabia for Climate Scorecard, a non-profit organization that monitors leading greenhouse gas-emitting countries’ climate policies and programs. Based on a review of Saudi...
RATING DThe National Inventory of Anthropogenic Emissions by Sources and Removals by Sinks of Greenhouse Gases can be accessed via the KAPSARC website (King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre), which has been extracted from The First Biennial Update Report (BUR1) of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia, Third National Communication of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,...
Rating C Saudi Arabia is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to its harsh desert climate and low levels of arable land that constitute only 5% of its total area and scarce water resources. Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia is considered one of the top three date-producing countries in the world, with 1,065,032...
Rating A Over the last decade, Saudi Arabia, a largely arid country, has witnessed significant changes in water usage, driven by the dual pressures of a growing population and industrialization. One of the key changes has been the shift from water-intensive agricultural practices to more sustainable methods due to the depletion of the country’s underground...
PROGRESS REPORTS/ MID-WAY 2023 Rating D (Falling Behind) Saudi Arabia’s emissions have been increasing in the last two years, bouncing back from their relatively low levels during the pandemic period despite several ambitious policies, including investing in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies and planning to achieve a 50% share of renewable energy...
The Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) is an ambitious environmental policy launched by Saudi Arabia to achieve a greener future and enhance the quality of life. It brings together government ministries, private sector entities, and foreign leaders under dual green initiatives to identify and deliver opportunities for rapid climate action. The initiative integrates environmental protection, energy...
Saudi Arabia is at risk of not meeting its goal of reducing emissions to 50% over 1990 by 2030. Key factors, such as fossil fuel reliance, government policies, and private sector engagement, are becoming hurdles to enabling the country to reach this goal. Saudi Arabia’s high dependence on fossil fuels and its young solar and...
Unlike most countries, Saudi Arabia has not been colonized and has no ethnic minorities. All of the population of modern-day Saudi Arabia are direct descendants of its original Arab inhabitants. There are however various tribes and sub-divisions of Arabs, some of whom are more vulnerable to climate change than others, such as the Bedouins and coastal fishing communities. Saudi...
