Ma’aden, Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu Establish Mangrove Park to Preserve Coastal Ecosystems

The agreement was signed by Ma’aden CEO Robert Wilt and Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu CEO Mahmood Al Theeb
The agreement was signed by Ma’aden CEO Robert Wilt and Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu CEO Mahmood Al Theeb
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Ma’aden, Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu Establish Mangrove Park to Preserve Coastal Ecosystems

The agreement was signed by Ma’aden CEO Robert Wilt and Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu CEO Mahmood Al Theeb
The agreement was signed by Ma’aden CEO Robert Wilt and Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu CEO Mahmood Al Theeb

Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu to establish a mangrove park in the Kingdom, supporting carbon sequestration and biodiversity preservation.

The agreement was signed by Ma’aden CEO Robert Wilt and Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu CEO Mahmood Al Theeb, in the presence of Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef, and Deputy Minister for Mining Affairs Khalid Al-Mudaifer at the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) which took place during the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.

Under the agreement, Ma’aden and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu will develop a mangrove park and support planting initiatives on Gurmah Island in Jubail, which houses a rich natural mangrove habitat.

The two parties will also cooperate on research initiatives relating to mangrove planting and ecosystem health and will develop local community programs that support ecosystem restoration and improve environmental awareness.

"This partnership is focused on preserving the Kingdom’s unique natural environment. Mangroves provide one of the most effective natural carbon-capture ecosystems and our ability strategy provides a roadmap towards restoring and enhancing the biodiversity of our coastline, in line with Ma’aden’s vision for sustainable growth in Saudi Arabia," Wilt said.

According to Al Theeb, the “partnership with Ma’aden will continue to preserve and expand mangrove ecosystems in Jubail."

“Together we will develop impactful initiatives that benefit the local community and contribute to the Kingdom’s sustainability objectives,” he said.

Ma’aden also launched a dedicated mangrove plantation strategy during SGI that aims to protect existing forests, restore degraded areas and contribute to carbon reduction and biodiversity enhancement. The company has committed to planting 10 million terrestrial trees and 10 million mangroves by 2040, in line with its ambitions as an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) leader to be carbon neutral by 2050.

The strategy supports the Saudi Green Initiative’s target to plant 100 million mangroves in Saudi Arabia by 2030, which will offset around 96 million tons of carbon emissions and help to stabilize the Kingdom’s coastline ecosystems.



Greece Experiences Weather 'Rollercoaster'

 A person holds a kite amid fog at Palaio Faliro suburb in Athens, Greece, March 15, 2025. (Reuters)
A person holds a kite amid fog at Palaio Faliro suburb in Athens, Greece, March 15, 2025. (Reuters)
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Greece Experiences Weather 'Rollercoaster'

 A person holds a kite amid fog at Palaio Faliro suburb in Athens, Greece, March 15, 2025. (Reuters)
A person holds a kite amid fog at Palaio Faliro suburb in Athens, Greece, March 15, 2025. (Reuters)

Greece is riding a weather "rollercoaster", with weekend temperatures spiking to a record high for March just ahead of a forecast bout of snow and frost, meteorologists said on Sunday.

The mercury soared to 31.4 degrees Celsius (88.5 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday in the central town of Livadia -- the highest-ever recorded for March, according to National Observatory of Athens’ Meteo.gr.

Across the country, other weather stations registered temperatures more typical of balmy May than the closing days of winter.

"The very high maximum temperatures recorded during the last four days (from Wednesday to Saturday) in the country, were record highs for the month of March in many areas," Meteo.gr said.

Following a surge of wildfires, a nationwide ban on burning material on rural properties is in effect until March 18.

"To have such temperatures so early in March, this has never happened before!" meteorologist Panagiotis Giannopoulos told ERT television.

The unusual spike was attributed to a blanket of Saharan dust in the air.

This winter is listed as the 13th warmest in Greece. The previous one, in 2023-2024, remains the warmest on record.

Inhabitants in Greece will have to brace for plunging temperatures from Tuesday, though, weather-watchers said.

"A cold air mass on Tuesday will give showers and snow all over the country," Giannopoulos said.

"In Athens, where today we have 27 degrees the maximum temperature will be 11 degrees. This is a rollercoaster," he added.

The abrupt change is particularly problematic for the agricultural sector.

In Greece's region of northern Macedonia -- which experienced 27 degrees on the weekend -- the expected frost is set to cause severe damage to fruit trees that are in full bloom.

Greece has become a climate-change hotspot. It had its hottest summer and warmest winter on record in 2024, according to data from the Meteo.gr network.

The year brought unprecedented temperatures, extreme rainfall and a notable frequency of impactful weather events.

Thirty-one significant weather incidents disrupted daily life in 2023, well above the 2000-2024 average, while nine weather-related deaths were registered.