Saudi Arabia’s MBS approves Royal Reserves strategic targets

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has approved a number of long-term targets to boost afforestation and eco-tourism in the Kingdom.

He approved the Royal Reserves strategic targets in a meeting of the Council of Royal Reserves on Wednesday, paving the way for greater sustainable developments in the country.

Saudi Arabia’s reserve initiative is expected to create multiple new jobs for local communities, in addition to bolstering the Kingdom’s position as one of the world’s top eco-tourism destinations.

The strategic targets will help meet the sustainability and environmental goals set in the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI), which aims to plant 10 billion trees over the coming decades.

As a leading global energy producer, Saudi Arabia wishes to contribute positively to the raging battle against climate change. It has made tremendous progress amid room for improvement.

The SGI works on increasing the Kingdom’s reliance on clean energy and offsetting emissions, aiming to protect 30% of the terrestrial and marine area there by 2030.

Creating Direct And Indirect Opportunities For Locals

The Royal Reserves cover 13.5% of Saudi territory, offering unique and exceptional destinations for eco-tourism enthusiasts from across the globe.

They are expected to lure in over 2.3 million visitors annually, on top of rehabilitating and protecting more than 15 heritage sites by the end of the decade.

These environmental and tourism targets are set to create both direct and indirect employment opportunities for local communities in the near future.

The long-term strategic targets approved by the Crown Prince on Wednesday focus on multiple key areas of afforestation, wildlife protection, boosting visitation and job creation.

It’s expected the Royal Reserves initiative will substantially contribute to the meeting of Saudi Arabia’s afforestation targets of planting over 80 million trees and shrubs by 2030.

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SGI Project Initiatives

In line with Vision 2030, the Saudi Green Initiative aims to protect future generations and improve the quality of life. Some of the key project initiatives enlisted as part of it include

1. Achieving net zero emissions by 2060

2. Reducing emissions by over 278 mtpa by 2030

3. Elevating domestic generation capacity from renewables by 50% by 2030

4. Contributing to cutting global methane emissions

5. Rehabilitating 40 million hectares of land in the near future

6. Increasing protected areas to more than 30% of total land area