Saudi Arabia Aims for Global Carbon Market Share Equal to Regional Emissions

Riham ElGizy, CEO of Voluntary Carbon Market.
Riham ElGizy, CEO of Voluntary Carbon Market.
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Saudi Arabia Aims for Global Carbon Market Share Equal to Regional Emissions

Riham ElGizy, CEO of Voluntary Carbon Market.
Riham ElGizy, CEO of Voluntary Carbon Market.

Riham ElGizy, CEO of Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM), a Saudi company which is the first of its kind in the MENA region, said the company currently holds about 1.3% of the global carbon trading market.

In exclusive remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat during the Portfolio Egypt 2024 conference in Cairo on Monday, ElGizy predicted that by 2030, the company’s carbon trading volume could reach 100 million tons, making it one of the largest carbon markets worldwide.

“We aim to achieve a market share that matches the region’s carbon emissions,” she said.

Since 2013, global carbon emissions have exceeded 35 billion tons each year, with growth slowing in recent years. In 2021, Arab countries emitted over 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, representing 5.45% of global emissions, according to European Union statistics.

The VCM enables companies, governments, and individuals to buy and sell credits that represent reductions in carbon dioxide emissions.

These credits can offset emissions that cannot be reduced through other methods, such as improving energy efficiency or using renewable energy sources. This market is increasingly viewed as an effective way to address climate change.

ElGizy announced that the company has increased the region’s carbon trading share from zero to 1.3% of the global market. This growth is attributed to two recent auctions held by the company.

Last year, around 200 million tons of carbon emissions were removed globally, equivalent to emissions from a country like Spain. ElGizy projected that the market’s trade value could reach $100 billion by 2030 and $250 billion by 2050.

According to the World Bank, carbon pricing revenues reached a record $104 billion in 2023.

In October 2022, the VCM held its first auction, selling about 1.4 million metric tons of carbon credits. The second auction in June 2023 sold around 2.2 million tons.

ElGizy announced plans for a third auction in November, expected to feature 2.5 to 3 million metric tons of carbon credits, coinciding with the launch of a new carbon trading platform at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

She emphasized that several Saudi and regional companies would participate in this auction, noting its significant size and impact. For perspective, she explained that the first auction's 1.4 million tons represented emissions from 250,000 family cars each year.

Looking ahead, ElGizy expects the company’s carbon trading volume to reach 100 million tons by 2030, positioning it among the largest carbon markets globally. She also highlighted the need for trade to shift from the Global North to the Global South and expressed a goal for Saudi Arabia to lead in regional carbon markets.



Egypt's Headline Inflation Almost Halves in February

Birds fly at sunset in Cairo, Egypt, 09 March 2025.  EPA/MOHAMED HOSSAM
Birds fly at sunset in Cairo, Egypt, 09 March 2025. EPA/MOHAMED HOSSAM
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Egypt's Headline Inflation Almost Halves in February

Birds fly at sunset in Cairo, Egypt, 09 March 2025.  EPA/MOHAMED HOSSAM
Birds fly at sunset in Cairo, Egypt, 09 March 2025. EPA/MOHAMED HOSSAM

Egypt's annual urban consumer price inflation plunged to 12.8% in February from 24.0% in January, decelerating even faster than analysts had expected, official data showed on Monday.
The drop was amplified by a statistical base effect, as exceptionally fast price increases of the past two years were no longer reflected in the statistics, analysts said.
Fifteen analysts polled by Reuters last week had expected inflation to cool to a median 14.5%.
Month on month, prices were 1.4% higher in February than in January.
Food and beverage prices were up by an annual 3.7% after rising 0.2% from January.
Core inflation also plunged more than expected to 10% on year-on-year basis in February, from 22.6% in January, the central bank said.
Inflation climbed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, which prompted foreign investors to withdraw billions of dollars from Egyptian treasury markets. Headline inflation reached a record high of 38.0% in September 2023.
The price rises were fueled in part by rapid growth in the money supply. M2 money supply expanded by an all-time high of 32.1% in the year to end-January, central bank data showed.
Egypt devalued its currency a year ago, raised interest rates by 600 basis points and signed an $8 billion financial support package with the International Monetary Fund, helping to bring its finances under control.