Middle East Green Initiative Ministerial Council Opens In Jeddah To Strengthen Regional Environmental Cooperation

The second session of the Ministerial Council Meeting for the Middle East Green Initiative convened in Jeddah, with Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley chairing discussions. Delegates examined regional climate action, long-term funding, and collective plans to improve land, air, and life quality across participating countries.

Saudi Arabia used the session to stress shared responsibility for environmental protection, urging coordinated international action. The Kingdom highlighted the need to restore degraded land, expand vegetation cover, and support a sustainable standard of living for future generations through practical cooperation between states and institutions.

Representatives from 31 regional member states attended the Middle East Green Initiative ministerial council, joined by the United Kingdom as an observer and several international organisations. In his opening statement, Alfadley welcomed wider engagement and encouraged stronger technical collaboration between governments, research centres, and financial bodies.

Alfadley announced that four additional countries had formally joined the Middle East Green Initiative: Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, and Syria. The minister noted that their entry pushed collective pledges for tree planting beyond 22 billion trees, widening the geographical scope and expected environmental impact of the initiative’s planned programmes.

Describing the institutional progress of the Middle East Green Initiative, Alfadley told participants: "This meeting represents a critical step in finalizing joint efforts between member states and establishing the initiative's permanent Secretariat in Riyadh," Alfadley stated. He also congratulated Eng. Ibrahim Alturki on becoming Secretary General of MGI, emphasising the importance of stable leadership.

The minister explained that Saudi Arabia has undergone a broad environmental shift, built around the National Environment Strategy and a network of specialised environmental centres. These structures support new policies on emissions, biodiversity, and natural resource management, aligned with national sustainability goals and linked to wider regional commitments under the Middle East Green Initiative.

Alfadley underlined the role of the Saudi Green Initiative, launched by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The programme aims to rehabilitate 40 million hectares of land within the Kingdom. It has already driven large-scale tree planting, expanded protected areas, and guided new environmental regulations.

According to the minister, more than 151 million trees have been planted so far, while designated natural reserves now cover over 18% of Saudi Arabia’s territory, with a target of 30% by 2030. The Kingdom also reports progress in waste recycling, meteorological services, climate research, wildlife protection, and environmental compliance systems.

Key quantitative details from Saudi Arabia’s efforts and the Middle East Green Initiative timeline were highlighted during the session:

Delegates were reminded that Saudi Arabia launched the Middle East Green Initiative during its first summit in Riyadh in October 2021. At the second summit in Sharm El Sheikh in November 2022, the Kingdom announced a financial grant, confirmed Riyadh as host of the General Secretariat, and pledged to cover all operational costs for ten years.

In his closing remarks, Alfadley thanked all participating countries and organisations for attending the council meeting in Jeddah. The minister expressed hope that the agreed resolutions would strengthen practical environmental cooperation, support implementation of national plans, and advance the shared objectives of the Middle East Green Initiative across the region and beyond.

With inputs from SPA