Program, Speakers Revealed for Saudi Green Initiative Forum at COP28

Taking place on December 4 during COP28 in Dubai, this year’s Forum maintains the theme “From Ambition to Action” for a consecutive year. (SPA)
Taking place on December 4 during COP28 in Dubai, this year’s Forum maintains the theme “From Ambition to Action” for a consecutive year. (SPA)
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Program, Speakers Revealed for Saudi Green Initiative Forum at COP28

Taking place on December 4 during COP28 in Dubai, this year’s Forum maintains the theme “From Ambition to Action” for a consecutive year. (SPA)
Taking place on December 4 during COP28 in Dubai, this year’s Forum maintains the theme “From Ambition to Action” for a consecutive year. (SPA)

The program and speakers for the third edition of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) Forum was revealed on Friday.

Taking place on December 4 during COP28 in Dubai, this year’s Forum maintains the theme “From Ambition to Action” for a consecutive year. The event will convene an elite lineup of influential figures, climate experts, senior government officials, and CEOs to share their insights and discuss what more can be done to address climate challenges.

Speakers confirmed to be taking part include William Thomas Winters, CEO, Standard Chartered, Dr. Angela Wilkinson, Secretary General and CEO, World Energy Council, Olivier Le Peuch, CEO, Schlumberger, and François Jackow, CEO, Air Liquide, and a number of Saudi government officials.

The forum’s program will focus on multiple key themes, including innovating and scaling up clean energy solutions, the Red Sea’s ecosystem, financing climate action, and protecting terrestrial and marine areas in the Kingdom.

The forum also presents a unique opportunity for diverse stakeholders to engage in dialogue, share insights, and showcase innovative approaches to addressing climate challenges, and supporting global action.

The forum will feature a series of panel discussions that will explore the key themes under four event pillars: "Industrial Plays,The Financial Architecture of Tomorrow,” "Innovative Transitions," and "Coherence for Impact.”

The sessions will examine critical topics, including clean energy scaling, desertification mitigation, climate technology innovation, safeguarding the Red Sea, sustainable urban planning, CCUS and hydrogen technology, and ESG investments. In the year of the global stocktake, the SGI Forum 2023 will be an important platform to accelerate global efforts to address climate challenges.

In addition to the forum, the Saudi Green Initiative Gallery will be open daily from 10:00am to 9:00pm throughout the COP28 conference, except for the day of the SGI Forum (December 4). The Gallery will showcase Saudi Arabia’s range of initiatives and projects working to deliver a greener, more sustainable future, underscoring the Kingdom’s enduring commitment to climate action.

This year, the Saudi Green Initiative is premiering an interactive speaker series called SGI Talks, to offer a wider audience access to different aspects of the climate action conversation and encourage dialogue. The series will engage with the major sustainability trends of the future, complementing the wider COP28 agenda. Talks will include a range of topics, including new technologies transforming energy efficiency.

The SGI Gallery will display the breadth and depth of climate action initiatives taking place across Saudi Arabia and the range of entities, projects and individuals behind these efforts. Visitors to the SGI Gallery will discover how the Kingdom is progressing towards its targets and learn more about the multitude of sustainable initiatives already delivering impact across the country.



Saudi FM Receives Message on Bilateral Ties from Russian Counterpart 

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
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Saudi FM Receives Message on Bilateral Ties from Russian Counterpart 

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. (Saudi Foreign Ministry)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov congratulated each other on Thursday on the centenary of diplomatic relations between their countries.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji received, on behalf of the foreign minister, a letter from Lavrov during a meeting with Russian Ambassador to the Kingdom Sergey Kozlov in Riyadh.

The diplomats exchanged congratulations on the centenary of diplomatic relations and discussed several issues of common interest.


Saudi Defense Minister Decorates Former CENTCOM Commander with King Abdulaziz Medal 

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and former Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) retired General Michael Kurilla during the ceremony in Riyadh on Thursday. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and former Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) retired General Michael Kurilla during the ceremony in Riyadh on Thursday. (SPA)
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Saudi Defense Minister Decorates Former CENTCOM Commander with King Abdulaziz Medal 

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and former Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) retired General Michael Kurilla during the ceremony in Riyadh on Thursday. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and former Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) retired General Michael Kurilla during the ceremony in Riyadh on Thursday. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz bestowed on Thursday the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class upon former Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) retired General Michael Kurilla.

The medal was awarded at the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The ceremony took place at the defense minister's office in Riyadh.


Saudi Crown Prince Performs Prayers at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah 

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and other officials perform prayers at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah on Friday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and other officials perform prayers at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah on Friday. (SPA)
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Saudi Crown Prince Performs Prayers at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah 

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and other officials perform prayers at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah on Friday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and other officials perform prayers at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah on Friday. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, visited the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah on Friday to perform prayers.

He received upon his arrival by President of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfig Al-Rabiah, and a number of the mosque's imams and preachers.

Crown Prince Mohammed was accompanied by Governor of the Madinah Region Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State and Cabinet Member Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of the Riyadh Region Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of the Madinah Region Prince Saud bin Nahar bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, Prince Saud bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan, and several other officials.

Earlier, in Riyadh, Crown Prince Mohammed received at the Al-Yamamah Palace Saudi Arabia's grand mufti, several princes, scholars, ministers, and a number of citizens who came to extend their congratulations on the occasion of Ramadan. 

The Crown Prince prayed to Allah Almighty to accept everyone's fasting and righteous deeds, and to bless the Kingdom with continued security, stability, and prosperity under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.