Saudi Vice Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng. Mansour Al Mushaiti said on Monday over SAR6 billion will have been invested in environmental compliance projects in Saudi Arabia by the end of 2030.
He made his remarks at the inaugural two-day Environmental Compliance Forum in Riyadh that ended on Monday.
Al Mushaiti stressed that the environment is closely related to the economy, community health and quality of life, and as such, it is one of the priority areas of the wise leadership, whose support contributed to an “unprecedented development of the environment, water and agriculture sectors” in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
He said the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture started to draw up the National Environment Strategy in 2016, and “through practical steps and practices, provided sustainable solutions, with the participation of the private sector, which played a crucial part in achieving many environment-friendly development goals”.
He added that the current forum sought to stress the importance of cooperation to create a sustainable environment that contributes to preserving natural resources, boosting the quality of life and improving the services provided to individuals.
According to a 2014 study by the World Bank, the cost of environmental degradation exceeded SAR86 billion, he noted.
Protecting the environment, he stressed, is crucial to ensuring environment, food and water security, and to progressing and achieving economic prosperity.
Al Mushaiti also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s “remarkable strides” in protecting the environment, preserving natural resources and achieving progress in global indicators.
