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Saudi Arabia Embarks on Transformative Journey Toward Environmental Sustainability

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on a transformative journey toward environmental sustainability. (SPA)
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on a transformative journey toward environmental sustainability. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Embarks on Transformative Journey Toward Environmental Sustainability

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on a transformative journey toward environmental sustainability. (SPA)
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on a transformative journey toward environmental sustainability. (SPA)

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on a transformative journey toward environmental sustainability, a multi-stage process that aligns with the goals of Vision 2030 and entails regional and global initiatives focused on preserving natural resources, combating climate change, and improving the quality of life for current and future generations.
This transformation was enabled by supportive regulations and legislation.
In 2016, a significant shift occurred: the Ministry of Agriculture was transformed into the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, said the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday.
Several key achievements have laid the groundwork for the country’s environmental progress. The National Environment Strategy served as a roadmap for environmental development, guiding the Kingdom's efforts.
The Prince Sultan Institute for Environmental, Water and Desert Research supported scientific research in environmental fields.
The Research Fund for Energy and Environment further strengthened this commitment by promoting innovation in sustainable energy and environmental protection.
The Kingdom also undertook a $1.1 billion post-Gulf War environmental reconstruction project to repair war-related damage to the environment.
To ensure effective and sustainable implementation of environmental initiatives, the Kingdom established the Environment Fund and the Special Forces for Environmental Security, as well as five specialized centers: the National Center for Meteorology, the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification, the National Center for Environmental Compliance, the National Center for Wildlife, and the National Center for Waste Management.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud issued a Royal Decree establishing a council for royal reserves, led by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. These reserves play a vital role in preserving ecosystems and biodiversity, providing resources for local communities, and supporting the development of ecotourism.
Saudi Arabia is a leader in the global green movement through two key initiatives. The Saudi Green Initiative aims to plant 10 billion trees, rehabilitate degraded lands, and increase protected areas. The Middle East Green Initiative is a collaborative effort that addresses regional environmental challenges. These initiatives promote the green economy, combat climate change, and create a more sustainable future for the region.
Vision 2030 calls for transforming Saudi cities into green and smart spaces, promoting a healthy lifestyle for residents. By taking these comprehensive steps, the country is asserting its leadership in environmental sustainability, to the benefit of its citizens and the wider region.
The National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification is making significant strides toward achieving the Saudi Green Initiative goals. It set seven key targets focused on revitalizing vegetation on lands under its purview.
The center plans to revitalize 300,000 hectares of degraded forests by replanting valleys and heavily logged areas with 60 million local trees.
Another key target is the rehabilitation of eight million hectares of pastureland in 26 locations in the Kingdom.
Planting 10 million trees in national parks is another crucial aspect of the plan. The goal is to reduce carbon emissions by four million tons, combat desertification, restore biodiversity, and provide nature-based solutions for carbon capture and climate-change mitigation.
The center also plans to collaborate with the royal reserves to plant seven million native trees. The aim is to reduce carbon emissions by over two million tons.
Encouraging private sector participation is another key target. The goal is to plant and protect 40 million trees in private sector areas over 10 years, contributing to reducing carbon emissions by 16 million tons.
In the public sector, the center aims to plant and protect 18 million local trees in public areas over a 10-year period. This will contribute to reducing carbon emissions by over seven million tons.
The center is exploring the ambitious long-term vision of planting 10 billion trees across the Kingdom in the coming decades, equivalent to rehabilitating 40 million hectares of degraded land, in order to increase vegetation cover, improve the quality of life, create habitats for endangered species, and mitigate the effects of climate change.

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Gulf

Jeddah Summit Highlights Saudi Push for Gulf Coordination

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, holds talks with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Jeddah on Tuesday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, holds talks with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Jeddah on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Jeddah Summit Highlights Saudi Push for Gulf Coordination

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, holds talks with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Jeddah on Tuesday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, holds talks with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Jeddah on Tuesday. (SPA)

Observers said Saudi Arabia’s hosting of a consultative meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Jeddah on Tuesday underscores a push by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to bolster joint Gulf work, contain the fallout of the current security and economic crisis, and ensure that solutions to the conflict ensure the interests of the GCC.

Recent developments and their unprecedented repercussions have exposed a major shift in the regional security order, underscoring the need for stronger Gulf cooperation and a more integrated crisis-response strategy.

Containing fallout

Informed sources said Saudi Arabia, alongside fellow Gulf states, has led diplomatic efforts to avoid escalation in the region.

GCC countries have repeatedly stressed their territories will not be used to launch attacks against Iran, seeking to prevent a wider conflict and its economic and security consequences.

Despite this, Iran and allied militias have expanded the conflict through unjustified attacks on GCC states.

Political analyst Munif Al-Harbi told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi Arabia has condemned Iranian attacks targeting the Kingdom, GCC states, and several Arab and Islamic countries, warning of escalation, breaches of international law, and threats to regional stability.

He said Riyadh considers GCC security indivisible, with any attack on one member treated as an attack on all, underscoring the need to protect shared interests.

Al-Harbi said the crisis has reinforced the urgency of deeper Gulf integration and stronger defense coordination. He said GCC states have shown a strong ability to intercept most missile and drone attacks, reflecting the resilience of their defense systems.

He added that economic and logistical coordination has also intensified, with Saudi Arabia helping stabilize global markets by maintaining oil exports.

Fragile ceasefire

Political analyst Khaled Al-Habbas agreed, saying the summit came at a sensitive moment shaped by stalled negotiations and a fragile ceasefire.

He underscored the consistent GCC stance since the start of the war, including support for the Pakistani mediation and efforts to ensure a Gulf voice at the negotiating table, even without direct participation, given the damage Gulf states have sustained from the Iranian attacks, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Al-Habbas said the summit is expected to reaffirm Gulf unity, condemn Iranian attacks, and back ongoing mediation efforts.

He said it would likely stress reopening the Strait of Hormuz in line with international law, reject any unilateral Iranian arrangements, and highlight risks linked to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and its regional proxies, as well as continued attacks on some Gulf states even after the ceasefire.

Both analysts said the summit will stress tighter coordination across defense, logistics, and supply chains, which they said has helped limit the war’s impact on GCC states.

The summit is also expected to back regional and international efforts toward a political settlement addressing all aspects of the conflict and Gulf concerns over Iran’s conduct.

Any deal reached must reflect those concerns and be backed by firm international guarantees.

Gulf

Gulf Maritime Integration Needed to Protect Hormuz, Counter Strategic Blackmail

A satellite image shows small boats north of the Strait of Hormuz. (Reuters)
A satellite image shows small boats north of the Strait of Hormuz. (Reuters)
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Gulf Maritime Integration Needed to Protect Hormuz, Counter Strategic Blackmail

A satellite image shows small boats north of the Strait of Hormuz. (Reuters)
A satellite image shows small boats north of the Strait of Hormuz. (Reuters)

The Strait of Hormuz has shifted, amid the current crisis, from a vital shipping lane into a strategic bargaining chip, anchored in Iran’s ability to keep passage uncertain, legally open, yet militarily threatened, politically conditioned, and economically sensitive.

A report by the Gulf Research Center, published on Tuesday, said Gulf states are the most exposed to the fallout from using Hormuz as leverage.

It said the strait’s impact goes beyond energy exports, extending to port security, supply chains, insurance, investment, the reputation of the economic environment, and the continuity of trade flows.

The report, prepared by retired Naval Admiral Abdullah Jaber AlZaidi, senior adviser for defense and security studies at the center, said Gulf states must not only protect the waterway but also reduce their vulnerability to strategic blackmail.

That requires stronger maritime early warning, a more integrated maritime picture, higher readiness to protect ports and infrastructure, alternative supply chain plans, and closer coordination with international partners, without turning the region into an open arena for escalation.

Iran’s approach, the report said, rarely reaches full closure. Instead, it relies on selective restrictions or threats, particularly against ships it views as tied to logistical support for US bases or as subject to maritime pressure. This gives Tehran room to maneuver, allowing it to calibrate between escalation and de-escalation.

The United States, by contrast, is using naval and air deployments as deterrence and counter-pressure, seeking to make any disruption of Hormuz a high-cost option for Iran. The aim is to curb escalation and reassure allies and markets that freedom of navigation will not be held hostage by Iran.

The report warned that the crisis is governed by a fragile balance. Iran is betting on raising the cost of passage without exhausting the Hormuz card, while the United States is betting on stronger deterrence without tipping into open conflict. Gulf states remain the most affected, as Hormuz is no longer just a navigation issue, but a broad national security concern spanning energy, ports, insurance, investment, supply chains, and regional stability.

Maritime pressure and the shadow fleet

The report said Iran’s use of Hormuz cannot be separated from wider maritime and economic pressure imposed on it. This goes beyond direct restrictions on Iranian ports to targeting shipping networks, insurance, intermediaries, and tankers that help Tehran bypass sanctions and market oil and petroleum products outside official channels.

Recent US measures against shipping firms and tankers linked to Iranian oil are not just financial sanctions, the report said, but part of dismantling Iran’s ability to sustain unofficial maritime trade.

Strategic ambiguity

Iran’s shifting statements on the strait reflect a deliberate strategy of ambiguity, the report said. The messaging has moved from allowing commercial transit, to linking passage, to de-escalation, to tougher positions on monitoring or restricting some vessels.

This is not an inconsistency, but an effort to keep the strait in a gray zone.

At its core, the strait remains legally open, but militarily threatened and subject to political and security conditions. That alone is enough to unsettle shipping firms, insurers, and vessel owners, who base decisions on worst-case risks, not reassuring statements.

The report said Iran adds a more sensitive layer by claiming some transiting ships provide logistical support for US bases in the Gulf, shifting from the language of disruption to a claim of the right to monitor what it sees as threats to its sovereignty.

Iran’s strategy reflects an awareness of its limits in conventional naval operations, offset by effective tools of disruption, confusion, and gray-zone pressure, the report said. These include direct military tools, hybrid gray-zone and cyber tools, and psychological and information warfare.

The Strait of Hormuz is narrow, the report said, and any incident could escalate quickly, whether a ship refusing inspection or a mine hitting the wrong target. Such events could shift the dynamic from bargaining to confrontation, stripping Iran of control over escalation and turning leverage into liability.

Impact on Gulf security

Gulf states remain the most exposed to the fallout, the report said, as Hormuz affects not only energy exports but also ports, supply chains, insurance, investment, the business environment, and trade flows.

Iran’s use of the strait puts Gulf states in a delicate position, the report noted, adding that they need to protect freedom of navigation, but do not want the strait to become an open confrontation zone.

It also mentioned that Gulf states need international deterrence, but know that any broad escalation would hit them directly, economically, and in security terms.

The report said Gulf states must go beyond protecting the passage and work to reduce their vulnerability to strategic blackmail.

This requires stronger maritime early warning, better integration of maritime awareness, higher readiness to protect ports and infrastructure, alternative supply chain planning, and tighter coordination with international partners, without turning the region into an open theater of escalation.

Gulf

Bahrain Sentences Five to Life for Plotting Terrorist Acts with Iran

Tuesday's sentences come a day after Bahrain revoked the citizenship of 69 people who "supported hostile Iranian acts". (BNA)
Tuesday's sentences come a day after Bahrain revoked the citizenship of 69 people who "supported hostile Iranian acts". (BNA)
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Bahrain Sentences Five to Life for Plotting Terrorist Acts with Iran

Tuesday's sentences come a day after Bahrain revoked the citizenship of 69 people who "supported hostile Iranian acts". (BNA)
Tuesday's sentences come a day after Bahrain revoked the citizenship of 69 people who "supported hostile Iranian acts". (BNA)

A Bahrain court sentenced five people to life in prison on Tuesday for plotting "terrorist and hostile acts" with Iran, which bombarded the Gulf kingdom during the Middle East war.

Another 25 people were jailed for up to 10 years for sharing images of Iranian attacks and expressing support for them, the public prosecution said.

The High Criminal Court sentenced two Afghans and three Bahrainis to life for colluding with Iran's Revolutionary Guards to monitor and photograph vital facilities.

A fourth Bahraini was acquitted, the public prosecution said, adding that it may appeal the verdict.

"The Public Prosecution affirms that the crime of communicating with hostile foreign entities against the Kingdom of Bahrain is considered one of the most serious crimes affecting national security," the statement said.

The other 25 were jailed for "supporting and endorsing" the attacks and filming and sharing prohibited images, a separate statement said.

Tuesday's sentences come a day after Bahrain revoked the citizenship of 69 people who "supported hostile Iranian acts".