Saudi Arabia will have spent more than$1.6bn on environmental compliance projects by 2030, according to a Government official.
Vice Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Mansour Al Mushaiti said at the Environmental Compliance Forum, held in Riyadh from February 25 to 26, that more than SR6bn ($1.6bn) will have been invested in environmental compliance projects in Saudi Arabia by the end of 2030.
Al Mushaiti stressed that the environment is closely related to the economy, community health and quality of life, and as such, it is one of the priority areas of the wise leadership, whose support contributed to an “unprecedented development of the environment, water and agriculture sectors”, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Saudi environmental compliance spending
He said that the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture started to draw up the National Environment Strategy in 2016, and “through practical steps and practices, provided sustainable solutions, with the participation of the private sector, which played a crucial part in achieving many environment-friendly development goals”.
He added that the current forum, the first of its kind, aimed to stress the importance of cooperation to create a sustainable environment that contributes to preserving natural resources, enhancing the quality of life and improving the services provided to individuals.
He pointed out that, according to a 2014 study by the World Bank, the cost of environmental degradation exceeded SR86bn ($23bn).
Protecting the environment, he stressed, is crucial to ensuring environment, food and water security, and to progressing and achieving economic prosperity.
Al Mushaiti also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s “remarkable strides” in protecting the environment, preserving natural resources and achieving progress in global indicators.
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