Saudi Arabia Increases Regional Movement to Mitigate Climate Change Effects

A session on the circular carbon economy towards zero emissions neutrality within the activities of the third day of the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week (MENACW).
A session on the circular carbon economy towards zero emissions neutrality within the activities of the third day of the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week (MENACW).
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Saudi Arabia Increases Regional Movement to Mitigate Climate Change Effects

A session on the circular carbon economy towards zero emissions neutrality within the activities of the third day of the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week (MENACW).
A session on the circular carbon economy towards zero emissions neutrality within the activities of the third day of the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week (MENACW).

The third day of the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week (MENACW) 2023 saw a series of discussions pertaining to climate change, amid a broad regional movement to mitigate the effects of this phenomenon on the region.

A session on the circular carbon economy towards zero emissions touched on the efforts deployed by the Kingdom since the launch of Vision 2030 to expand the scope of its work to deal with climate challenges, and its introduction of the circular carbon economy initiative, which is a comprehensive and integrated approach that relies on multiple tools for managing emissions.

Chief Engineer for the Circular Carbon Economy at the Ministry of Energy, Humam Al-Ghamdi, said: “Saudi Arabia is implementing a combination of factors and functions in the field of renewable energy, to accelerate the pace of mitigating emissions and raising the level of the future economy in order to shift to clean hydrogen.”

He stated that the Kingdom has a specialized center to monitor climate change in order to capture more than 24 million tons of carbon, stressing that Saudi Arabia was moving to lead renewable energy and clean hydrogen by 2030.

For his part, Dr. Fahd Al-Sherehy, Vice President for Energy Efficiency and Carbon Management at SABIC Saudi Arabia, explained that the Kingdom has clear plans to reduce costs and raise efficiency levels.

Chief Growth Officer at Carbon Clean, Krishna Singhania, said that modern technology can develop and reduce the cost of carbon capture, explaining that reaching zero emissions could be achieved within a period of up to 5 years.

He pointed to a gap between the costs allocated to factories and those directed to mitigating emissions, noting that reaching the desired goals required integrated and comprehensive work.

Singhania continued that the private sector plays an important role, by creating partnerships with regulatory and legislative bodies in the concerned countries.



Davos to Welcome Trump Virtually as World Leaders Await New US President’s Policies

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 6, 2024. (AFP)
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 6, 2024. (AFP)
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Davos to Welcome Trump Virtually as World Leaders Await New US President’s Policies

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 6, 2024. (AFP)
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 6, 2024. (AFP)

Donald Trump will mark his return to the global stage with a virtual World Economic Forum appearance in Davos next week, as world leaders await details of the incoming US President's policies and his pledge to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump is due to return to the White House on Jan. 20, with his inauguration for a second term as US President coinciding with the start of the 55th annual WEF meeting of political and business leaders in the Swiss mountain resort.

Meanwhile, another key player in any attempt to bring peace to Ukraine, the country's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will make a special address and take questions, the WEF meeting organizers said on Tuesday.

Among the other global leaders due to attend the meeting, which will include 60 heads of state and government, are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and China's vice premier Ding Xuexiang, WEF President and CEO Borge Brende said during a press conference.

Brende said Trump, who has twice previously attended Davos, will join "digitally" on Jan. 23, without giving further details. He said it would be a "very special moment" to learn about the new Trump administration's policy priorities.

"There is a lot of interest to decipher and to understand the policies of the new administration, so it will be an interesting week," Brende said.

Topics on the Davos agenda range from mounting global geopolitical and economic uncertainty to trade tensions, climate goals and how AI can help make lives better.

Business leaders have become more optimistic about the economy given Trump's pledges to reduce regulation, potentially cut taxes and ease restrictions on activities including mergers and acquisitions, Rich Lesser, global chair of Boston Consulting Group, told Reuters ahead of the meeting.

Lesser said, however, that underlying optimism is being offset by concerns about tariffs, deportations, a widening budget deficit and the US relationship with China.

MIDDLE EAST

This year's meeting in Davos is taking place against "the most complicated geopolitical backdrop in generations," Brende said, adding that the forum will have a strong focus on Middle East geopolitics, including high-level diplomatic talks.

Delegates will discuss developments in Syria and the humanitarian crises in Gaza and Yemen alongside other topics.

Participants will include Qatar's Prime Minister, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister, Syria's foreign minister, the UN special envoy on Syria, the Iranian Vice President, Israel's President and the Palestinian Prime Minister.

"There will be a hard work at the situation in Syria, the terrible humanitarian situation in Gaza ... the potential escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. We were very close to it between Israel and Iran, and I don't think we're out of the woods yet," Brende said.

CLIMATE

The WEF will this week release an analysis looking at companies that account for two-thirds of global market capitalization, which will show that only about 10% are taking meaningful and tangible action on the climate and nature agenda.

Business and political leaders gathering in Davos from Jan. 20 to Jan. 24 are also due to discuss how to ensure energy remains affordable, secure and green and the challenges preventing acceleration of efforts towards energy transition.

"We’re in a really challenging moment for climate, where countries are asking if other nations are doing their share," said Boston Consulting Group's Lesser.