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Executive Plan for Saudi Green Initiative to Be Revealed in November

Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman al-Fadhli speaks at the inauguration of the International Exhibition and Forum on Afforestation Technologies in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman al-Fadhli speaks at the inauguration of the International Exhibition and Forum on Afforestation Technologies in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
    Riyadh - Omar al-Badwi and Fatehelrahman Yousif
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Executive Plan for Saudi Green Initiative to Be Revealed in November

Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman al-Fadhli speaks at the inauguration of the International Exhibition and Forum on Afforestation Technologies in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman al-Fadhli speaks at the inauguration of the International Exhibition and Forum on Afforestation Technologies in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia will announce in November the complete strategic and executive plan for the Saudi Green Initiative, based on an alliance of companies, scientific, and research bodies with over 60 experts in soil, water, climate change, and desertification.

Environmental experts recommended supporting green initiatives that adopt sustainable afforestation projects and plant cover development to meet the challenges of desertification.

Under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Abdulrahman al-Fadhli inaugurated the International Exhibition and Forum on Afforestation Technologies at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center on Sunday.

The event is organized by the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification in coordination and cooperation with the Ministry of Environment.

More than 80 exhibitors and 90 speakers from 20 countries and organizations worldwide will engage in 20 dialogue sessions and workshops discussing more than 50 scientific papers.

Participants called for boosting the cooperation between regional countries to achieve the desired effect of these projects and determine their proper framework to avoid the many conflicts within different experiences.

Ambitious initiative

Fadhli said the Kingdom is moving towards achieving a qualitative and unprecedented leap in the Middle East in environmental protection and vegetation development with ambitious local and regional initiatives.

"The impact of the initiatives will be reflected globally in reducing desertification and boosting biodiversity, and pushes towards a cleaner and more sustainable future, thus improving human quality of life and well-being," the minister said.

Challenges

CEO of the National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification Khaled al-Abdulqader warned that biodiversity loss is a great challenge, adding that planting 10 billion trees will have environmental, social, and economic benefits.

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture Osama Fakiha confirmed that Saudi Arabia had made significant efforts to implement the afforestation program throughout the Kingdom.

He reviewed the Green Riyadh Project, which started with planting 7.5 million trees and launching the King Salman Park and Saudi Green Cities, with the aim to plant more than 30 million trees in gardens and parks across the Kingdom.

Environmental movement

Leader of the Saudi Green Studies Project Alliance Khaled al-Othman said environmental interaction has no boundaries because addressing its challenges is inseparable from the mutual ecological influences within the same region.

Othman added that Saudi Arabia is within a wide regional area that requires the adoption of a broad environmental and integrated movement as part of the approaches of the Saudi Green Initiative to stimulate regional and joint cooperation.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he pointed out that the Saudi Green Initiative is the cornerstone of the Middle East Green Initiative, placing the Kingdom in a pioneering position in specialized studies and a leader in afforestation.

Executive strategy

Othman stated that an alliance of companies and scientific and research bodies is devising a plan based on the scientific foundations, environmental reality, challenges, resources, and capabilities.

The plan will be part of a strategic implementation framework to understand the current situation, collect data, and conduct the necessary surveys.

He revealed that over 60 scientists and experts in soil, water, climate change, and levels of desertification are working in cooperation with the National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification.

Othman noted that the efforts would result in developing a comprehensive strategic plan and an execution plan to implement this ambitious project by defining the required financing programs, the roles of governmental and non-profit agencies, and the areas of scientific research.

The project will also determine the new technologies employed with its necessary implementation tools.

He called for exerting efforts within the framework of the comprehensive plan, rather than conflicting attempts, in plant growth and comprehensive environmental rehabilitation.

He announced that the preliminary results of the study would be announced in November, and the implementation tools will be identified, which will answer all questions about water sources and the quality, timing, and locations of crops.

Reality of the region

Director of Seismic Studies Center Professor Abdullah al-Omari said the region suffers from drought, desertification, and various environmental problems, making afforestation initiatives vital to reducing carbon emissions and global warming.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi Arabia and the rest of the regional countries, given their vast area and the lack of rain, will face various obstacles, namely the scarcity of water resources.

Saudi Arabia has sought, through its multiple initiatives, to meet its needs, face challenges, and create solutions.

Omari reiterated the importance of the participation of different countries at the International Exhibition and Forum on Afforestation Technologies to achieve these initiatives, exchange experiences, and boost cooperation.

Water supply

He pointed out that water availability is essential for the plan, and solving the issue of water shortage ensures its success.

He recalled Saudi efforts in this field, noting that the Kingdom is a pioneer in desalination, artificial lakes, and rain seeding.

Saudi Arabia also constructed over 230 dams around the Kingdom, despite high temperatures and increased evaporation levels.

Riyadh continues efforts to face water waste and maintain renewable water resources, securing them for future generations, meeting possible increases in population density, and prioritizing the public interests.

Agreements and contracts

The National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification signed an agreement with the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve to plant one million trees in the reserve.

The agreement aims to boost the cooperation and integration to develop the vegetation cover within the reserve, increase its area, and protest its diversity.

The areas of cooperation include defining afforestation sites within the reserve, including the northern and southern al-Khafs and Noura parks.

The Center signed on the sidelines of the Forum three memoranda of understanding with the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden), and the Rural Development Program (Reef).

The agreements aim to combat desertification within the areas of cooperation, including protecting and developing the vegetation cover and its sustainability, raising environmental awareness, and launching afforestation initiatives and projects, such as the project to plant 20 million trees by 2040.

NEOM target

NEOM launched its Regreening Initiative in collaboration with the National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification.

NEOM CEO Engineer Nadhmi al-Nasr announced the project seeks to plant 100 million trees as part of the Saudi Green Initiative, stressing that NEOM will be the first region to rely entirely on solar and wind energy.

Nasr stressed that the partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture had come a long way, highlighting NEOM's commitment to the future industry, development sustainability, and keeping pace with future aspirations.

NEOM will start planting 100 million trees soon.

Nasr pointed out that NEOM, which occupies an area the size of an entire country, such as Belgium, will be a 95 percent natural area, as a result of continuous work and coordination with the Ministry of Environment and in light of many initiatives and scientific research.

It will also rehabilitate 1.5 million hectares of land and natural reserves and restore wildlife habitats.

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Business

Global Unemployment ‘Stable’ in 2026, but Decent Jobs Lacking

A Palestinian employee inspects sweet locally known as "al-Shatwi" (Winter) Crimbo sweets, as the Al-Arees factory gradually resumes operations after a hiatus caused by the Gaza war which led to shortages of raw materials used in their products, in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip on January 12, 2026, following a US-brokered truce that halted the two-year war. (AFP)
A Palestinian employee inspects sweet locally known as "al-Shatwi" (Winter) Crimbo sweets, as the Al-Arees factory gradually resumes operations after a hiatus caused by the Gaza war which led to shortages of raw materials used in their products, in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip on January 12, 2026, following a US-brokered truce that halted the two-year war. (AFP)
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Global Unemployment ‘Stable’ in 2026, but Decent Jobs Lacking

A Palestinian employee inspects sweet locally known as "al-Shatwi" (Winter) Crimbo sweets, as the Al-Arees factory gradually resumes operations after a hiatus caused by the Gaza war which led to shortages of raw materials used in their products, in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip on January 12, 2026, following a US-brokered truce that halted the two-year war. (AFP)
A Palestinian employee inspects sweet locally known as "al-Shatwi" (Winter) Crimbo sweets, as the Al-Arees factory gradually resumes operations after a hiatus caused by the Gaza war which led to shortages of raw materials used in their products, in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip on January 12, 2026, following a US-brokered truce that halted the two-year war. (AFP)

The global unemployment rate is expected to hold steady in 2026, the United Nations said Wednesday, but cautioned the labor market's seeming stability belies a dire shortage of decent jobs.

The UN's International Labor Organization said the global economy and labor market appeared to have weathered recent economic shocks better than expected.

But the ILO warned that efforts to improve global job quality had stagnated, leaving hundreds of millions of workers wallowing in poverty, even as trade uncertainty risked cutting into workers wages.

The global unemployment rate was estimated at 4.9 percent last year and the year before, and is now projected to remain at a similar level until 2027, a report from the UN labor agency said.

That amounts to 186 million people out of work this year, it said.

"Global labor markets look stable, but that stability is quite fragile," Caroline Fredrickson, head of the ILO's research department, told reporters, cautioning that the "apparent calm masks deeper and unresolved problems".

At a time when US President Donald Trump has slapped towering tariffs on friends and foes alike, the report cautioned that "disruptions caused by trade uncertainty, combined with ongoing long-term transformations in global trade, could significantly affect labor market outcomes".

Going forward, the ILO said its modelling suggested that a moderate increase in trade policy uncertainty "may reduce returns to labor and, as a consequence, real wages for both skilled and unskilled workers across all sectors", especially in Southeast Asia, Southern Asia and Europe.

The potential of trade to generate new employment opportunities was also being challenged by the ongoing disruptions, the report said, pointing out that 465 million jobs globally depended on foreign demand through exports of goods and services and related supply chains in 2024.

- Extreme poverty -

Another major concern highlighted by the ILO was the quality of jobs available.

"Resilient growth and stable unemployment figures should not distract us from the deeper reality: hundreds of millions of workers remain trapped in poverty, informality, and exclusion," ILO chief Gilbert Houngbo said in a statement.

Nearly 300 million workers continue to live in extreme poverty, earning less than $3 a day, Wednesday's report found.

At the same time, some 2.1 billion workers are expected to hold informal jobs this year, with limited access to social protection, labor rights and job security.

Young people remain particularly vulnerable, with unemployment among 15- to 24-year-olds projected to reach 12.4 percent for 2025, with around 260 million young people not engaged in education, employment or training, ILO said.

It warned that artificial intelligence and automation could exacerbate challenges, particularly for educated young people in wealthier countries seeking their first high-skill jobs.

"While the full impact of AI on youth employment remains uncertain, its potential magnitude warrants close monitoring," the report said.

The ILO also highlighted "entrenched gender inequalities", pointing out that women still account for just two-fifths of global employment.

"Stable labor markets are not necessarily healthy," Fredrickson said, stressing the growing need for "domestic policy choices to strengthen decent work outcomes".

"Without decisive action, today's stability risks giving way to deeper inequalities."

Business

China Had a Record $1.2 Trillion Trade Surplus in 2025, as Exports Rose 6.6% in December

Women dressed in traditional Chinese-style attire cross a street in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP)
Women dressed in traditional Chinese-style attire cross a street in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP)
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China Had a Record $1.2 Trillion Trade Surplus in 2025, as Exports Rose 6.6% in December

Women dressed in traditional Chinese-style attire cross a street in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP)
Women dressed in traditional Chinese-style attire cross a street in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP)

China’s trade surplus surged to a record of almost $1.2 trillion in 2025, the government said Wednesday, as exports to other countries made up for slowing shipments to the United States.

China's exports rose 5.5% for the whole of last year to $3.77 trillion, customs data showed, while imports flatlined at $2.58 trillion. The 2024 trade surplus was over $992 billion.

In December, China’s exports climbed 6.6% from the year before in dollar terms, better than economists’ estimates and higher than November’s 5.9% year-on-year increase. Imports in December were up 5.7% year-on-year, compared to November’s 1.9%.

China’s trade surplus surpassed the $1 trillion mark for the first time in November, when the trade surplus reached $1.08 trillion in the first 11 months of last year.

Economists expect exports will continue to support China’s economy this year, despite trade friction and geopolitical tensions.

“We continue to expect exports to act as a big growth driver in 2026,” said Jacqueline Rong, chief China economist at BNP Paribas.

While China’s exports to the US have fallen sharply for most of last year since President Donald Trump returned to office and escalated his trade war with the world’s second-largest economy, that decline has been largely offset by shipments to other markets in South America, Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe.

For the whole of 2025, China’s exports to the US fell 20%. In contrast, exports to Africa surged 26%. Those to Southeast Asian countries jumped 13%; to the European Union 8%, and to Latin America, 7%.

Strong global demand for computer chips and other devices and the materials needed to make them were among categories that supported China’s exports, analysts said. Car exports also grew last year.

China's strong exports have helped keep its economy growing at an annual rate close to its official target of about 5%. But that has triggered alarm in countries that fear a flood of cheap imports are damaging local industries.

China faces a “severe and complex” external trade environment in 2026, Wang Jun, vice minister of China’s customs administration, told reporters in Beijing. But he said China’s “foreign trade fundamentals remain solid.”

The head of the International Monetary Fund last month called for China to fix its economic imbalances and speed up its shift from reliance on exports by boosting domestic demand and investment.

A prolonged property downturn in China after the authorities cracked down on excessive borrowing, triggering defaults by many developers, is still weighing on consumer confidence and domestic demand.

China’s leaders have made increasing spending by consumers and businesses a focus of economic policy, but actions taken so far have had a limited impact. That included government trade-in subsidies over the past months that encouraged consumers to buy newer, more energy efficient items, such as home appliances and vehicles, and replace older models.

“We expect domestic demand growth to stay tepid,” said Rong of BNP Paribas. “In fact, the policy boost to domestic demand looks weaker than last year -- in particular the fiscal subsidy program for consumer goods.”

Gary Ng, a senior economist at French investment bank Natixis, forecasts that China’s exports will grow about 3% in 2026, less than the 5.5% growth in 2025. With slow import growth, he expects China's trade surplus to remain above $1 trillion this year.

Business

Saudi Arabia Signs Mineral Cooperation Deals with Chile, Canada, Brazil

The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Ministerial Roundtable of ministers concerned with mining affairs, held as part of the fifth annual Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh. (SPA)
The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Ministerial Roundtable of ministers concerned with mining affairs, held as part of the fifth annual Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Signs Mineral Cooperation Deals with Chile, Canada, Brazil

The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Ministerial Roundtable of ministers concerned with mining affairs, held as part of the fifth annual Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh. (SPA)
The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Ministerial Roundtable of ministers concerned with mining affairs, held as part of the fifth annual Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia, represented by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, signed on Tuesday three international memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on mineral resources cooperation with the Chile, Canada, and Brazil.

The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Ministerial Roundtable of ministers concerned with mining affairs, held as part of the fifth annual Future Minerals Forum (FMF), hosted by Riyadh from January 13 to 15.

The deals reflect the Kingdom’s efforts to expand its international partnerships and strengthen technical and investment cooperation in the mining and minerals sector in a manner that serves mutual interests and supports the sustainable development of mineral resources.

The signing ceremony included MoUs on cooperation in the mineral resources field with the Chilean Ministry of Mining, the Canadian Department of Natural Resources, and the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy.

The Ministerial Roundtable recorded the largest level of international representation of its kind globally, with participation from more than 100 countries, including all G20 members in addition to the European Union, as well as 59 multilateral organizations, industry associations, and non-governmental organizations.

The attendance reflects the standing the ministerial meeting has attained as a leading international platform for aligning perspectives, building partnerships, and developing practical solutions to global challenges in the mining and minerals sector.