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Saudi Arabia Announces Historic UNCCD Green Zone, Thematic Days to Accelerate Action on Land Degradation

Saudi Arabia Announces Historic UNCCD Green Zone, Thematic Days to Accelerate Action on Land Degradation
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Saudi Arabia Announces Historic UNCCD Green Zone, Thematic Days to Accelerate Action on Land Degradation

Saudi Arabia Announces Historic UNCCD Green Zone, Thematic Days to Accelerate Action on Land Degradation

The Presidency of COP16 Riyadh, which will be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from December 2 to 13, has announced the establishment of a Green Zone and the organization of seven thematic days. This initiative marks a first in the history of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
For the first time, a UNCCD COP will feature a Green Zone and thematic days as part of Saudi Arabia's leadership under its incoming COP16 Presidency. This landmark program reflects the Kingdom's commitment to galvanizing global action to combat land degradation, drought, and desertification, SPA reported.
The Green Zone aims to raise global awareness about land degradation and to connect key decision-makers from the scientific, NGO, political, business, and at-risk communities. The goal is to develop and fund lasting solutions. Thematic days in both the Green and Blue Zones will address key issues, including agri-food systems and finance.
"Land degradation, desertification, and drought affect almost every corner of the planet and every living being on it, from species at risk of extinction to the livelihoods of those impacted by severe drought," said Deputy Minister for Environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Advisor to the UNCCD COP16 Presidency Dr. Osama Faqeeha.
"Saudi Arabia will host the first-ever UNCCD COP16 Green Zone to mobilize the international community and maximize the opportunity during December's conference to deliver lasting global change. Whether you wish to attend as a visitor engaging in critical conversations about land restoration or as an exhibitor showcasing innovation, I encourage people to register and be part of the solution," Dr. Faqeeha added.
The Green and Blue Zones will host seven thematic days designed to foster action and dialogue among key stakeholders. Land Day will spotlight land restoration initiatives and nature-based solutions. The Business for Land Forum will bring together global leaders to discuss the economic imperatives of sustainable land practices. Finance Day will address the financing gap in combating land degradation. A special ministerial dialogue will showcase innovation in Sustainable Land Management financing, tackling the challenge highlighted by the UN Environment Program: $7 trillion is invested annually in activities that harm nature, equivalent to 7 percent of global GDP. Governance Day will focus on improving women's land rights and addressing pressing policy issues surrounding land tenure and resource governance. Agri-Food Systems Day will explore food security, crop resilience, and sustainable farming practices. Resilience Day will address water scarcity, drought resilience, and early warning systems for sand and dust storms. People's Day will feature a youth caucus addressing the critical role of young people, a gender caucus, and discussions about increasing the participation of at-risk groups. According to UNCCD, one billion people under the age of 25 live in regions heavily dependent on land and natural resources for livelihoods.
Science, Technology, and Innovation Day will emphasize the role of science in land restoration and prevention of further degradation. This day will nurture long-term solutions, ensure synergies with climate and biodiversity fields, and address research and funding gaps.

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Varieties

Saudi Arabia: Newest State-of-the-Art Film Production Hub Launched in Qiddiya City

Located at the heart of Qiddiya City, PlayMaker Studios sits just 40 minutes from Riyadh
Located at the heart of Qiddiya City, PlayMaker Studios sits just 40 minutes from Riyadh
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Saudi Arabia: Newest State-of-the-Art Film Production Hub Launched in Qiddiya City

Located at the heart of Qiddiya City, PlayMaker Studios sits just 40 minutes from Riyadh
Located at the heart of Qiddiya City, PlayMaker Studios sits just 40 minutes from Riyadh

Qiddiya Investment Company has announced the official opening of PlayMaker Studios at Qiddiya City, marking the launch of Saudi Arabia’s newest state-of-the-art film production hub. The opening represents a major milestone in the Kingdom’s rapidly advancing film and creative industries.

The launch of PlayMaker Studios marks a strategic addition to Saudi Arabia’s production infrastructure. The studios feature two high-spec, purpose-built soundstages, flexible workshops, and fully integrated production facilities designed to meet the needs of large-scale international and regional productions. The complex also includes modern production offices and on-site support amenities, offering a seamless, end-to-end production environment.

With strong demand already recorded for studio space, construction has begun on two additional world-class soundstages, scheduled for completion in 2026, which will significantly expand PlayMaker Studios’ capacity and enable it to host multiple major productions simultaneously.

Qiddiya Investment Company has also established a dedicated on-the-ground team to provide hands-on support for producers across permitting, logistics, and operational services. In addition, PlayMaker Studios offers streamlined access to Saudi Arabia’s industry-leading 40% production cash rebate, one of the most competitive incentives globally.

As part of its long-term development strategy, PlayMaker Studios will introduce dedicated post-production, visual effects, volumetric, and music studios, further strengthening the Kingdom’s creative and production ecosystem. The complex is set to become both a creative powerhouse and a core pillar of Qiddiya City’s entertainment offering.

Qiddiya Investment Company Managing Director Abdullah Aldawood said: “PlayMaker Studios is a cornerstone of Qiddiya City’s ambition and builds on Saudi Arabia’s growing success in the creative industries. It marks an important step in strengthening this momentum and realizing our vision to create a world class destination where innovation, culture and entertainment come together, and where the global film industry can find a new home in the Kingdom.”

Located at the heart of Qiddiya City - the world’s first destination where culture, sport, and creativity converge - PlayMaker Studios sits just 40 minutes from Riyadh, offering producers integrated logistics solutions, premium accommodation options for production teams, and direct access to a dynamic entertainment environment designed to inspire world-class content creation.

Varieties

Brigitte Macron Visits an Old Friend in China: Giant Panda Called Yuan Meng

FILE - French First lady Brigitte Macron attends a naming ceremony of the panda born at the Beauval Zoo, in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France, on Dec. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool, File)
FILE - French First lady Brigitte Macron attends a naming ceremony of the panda born at the Beauval Zoo, in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France, on Dec. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool, File)
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Brigitte Macron Visits an Old Friend in China: Giant Panda Called Yuan Meng

FILE - French First lady Brigitte Macron attends a naming ceremony of the panda born at the Beauval Zoo, in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France, on Dec. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool, File)
FILE - French First lady Brigitte Macron attends a naming ceremony of the panda born at the Beauval Zoo, in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France, on Dec. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool, File)

French first lady Brigitte Macron caught up with an old friend — a giant panda born in France — at the tail end Friday of a visit to China with President Emmanuel Macron.

At a panda reserve in southwest China that Yuan Meng now calls home, the first lady marveled at how big he has grown. She helped choose his name — which means “accomplishment of a dream” — when he was born in a French zoo in 2017.

“When they're born, they're like this,” she said, holding up two fingers a short distance apart. Meanwhile, the chunky male roamed in his enclosure, feasting on bamboo and ignoring bystanders who cried out his name, hoping to elicit a reaction.

“They have a very independent character,” she said. “They do only what they want.”

For decades, China has deployed what's often called “panda diplomacy” to smooth and promote relations with other countries, gifting the animals to friendly nations and lending pandas to zoos overseas on commercial terms.

Emmanuel Macron’s state visit this week to China, his fourth as president, included meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and other officials, discussing Russia’s war in Ukraine, trade ties and other issues.

The China Wildlife Conservation Association said during the visit that it signed a letter of intent to send two of the animals to the Beauval Zoo south of Paris in 2027 under what would be a new 10-year round of panda cooperation with France.

The French zoo sent two 17-year-old pandas — Huan Huan, a female, and her partner Yuan Zi — back to China last month after 13 years on loan in France.

Yuan Meng was their cub, conceived using artificial insemination.

Despite being made in France, he officially belonged to the Chinese government. Yuan Meng bid ‘’adieu’’ to France in 2023, sent off to a new life in the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China where Brigitte Macron, considered to be his “godmother,” dropped in to see him.

Huan Huan and Yuan Zi also produced female twins in France in 2021.

Huanlili and Yuandudu are also expected to leave the Beauval Zoo for China in the future. The China Wildlife Conservation Association has previously said that it expects them to remain at the French zoo until January 2027.

Varieties

Florida Kicks Off 1st Black Bear Hunt in a Decade, Despite Pushback

FILE - A black bear is weighed by FWC Biologists Alyssa Simmons and Mike Orlando at the Rock Springs Run Wildlife Management Area near Lake Mary, Fla., Oct. 24, 2015. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP, file)
FILE - A black bear is weighed by FWC Biologists Alyssa Simmons and Mike Orlando at the Rock Springs Run Wildlife Management Area near Lake Mary, Fla., Oct. 24, 2015. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP, file)
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Florida Kicks Off 1st Black Bear Hunt in a Decade, Despite Pushback

FILE - A black bear is weighed by FWC Biologists Alyssa Simmons and Mike Orlando at the Rock Springs Run Wildlife Management Area near Lake Mary, Fla., Oct. 24, 2015. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP, file)
FILE - A black bear is weighed by FWC Biologists Alyssa Simmons and Mike Orlando at the Rock Springs Run Wildlife Management Area near Lake Mary, Fla., Oct. 24, 2015. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP, file)

For the first time in a decade, hunters armed with rifles and crossbows are fanning out across Florida's swamps and flatwoods to legally hunt the Florida black bear, over the vocal opposition of critics.

The state-sanctioned hunt began Saturday, after drawing more than 160,000 applications for a far more limited number of hunting permits, including from opponents who are trying to reduce the number of bears killed in this year's hunt, the state's first since 2015, The Associated Press reported.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission awarded 172 bear hunt permits by random lottery for this year's season, allowing hunters to kill one bear each in areas where the population is deemed large enough. At least 43 of the permits went to opponents of the hunt who never intend to use them, according to the Florida chapter of the Sierra Club, which encouraged critics to apply in the hopes of saving bears.

The Florida black bear population is considered one of the state's conservation success stories, having grown from just several hundred bears in the 1970s to an estimated more than 4,000 today.

Opponents have questioned whether the hunt was necessary, but they were unable to convince the courts to halt it.

Here's what to know.

A limit of one bear per hunter The 172 people who were awarded a permit through a random lottery will be able to kill one bear each during the 2025 season, which runs from Dec. 6 to Dec. 28. The permits are specific to one of the state's four designated bear hunting zones, each of which have a hunting quota set by state officials based on the bear population in each region.

In order to participate, hunters must hold a valid hunting license and a bear harvest permit, which costs $100 for residents and $300 for nonresidents, plus fees. Applications for the permits cost $5 each.

The regulated hunt will help incentivize maintaining healthy bear populations, and help fund the work that is needed, according to Mark Barton of the Florida chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, an advocacy group that supported the hunt.

Having an annual hunt will help guarantee funding to "keep moving conservation for bears forward,” Barton said.

Hunting as a management tool According to state wildlife officials, the bear population has grown enough to support a regulated hunt and warrant population management. The state agency sees hunting as an effective tool that is used to manage wildlife populations around the world, and allows the state to monetize conservation efforts through permit and application fees.

"While we have enough suitable bear habitat to support our current bear population levels, if the four largest subpopulations continue to grow at current rates, we will not have enough habitat at some point in the future," reads a bear hunting guide published by the state wildlife commission.

Opponents meanwhile have called the hunt cruel, unnecessary and an excuse for hunters to bag a trophy animal when the real issue is the ever-growing human population encroaching on bear habitat.

Stricter regulations than the last hunt This year’s hunting plan has more stringent rules than the 2015 hunt, in which permits were provided to anyone who could pay for them, resulting in more than 3,700 permits issued. That led to a chaotic event that was shut down days early. Of the 304 bears killed, at least 38 were females with cubs, meaning the young bears may have died too.

Ultimately, wildlife officials decided to call off the hunt after its second day after a higher than expected number of bears were killed, though hunters did not exceed the statewide quota.

Doug Moore regularly sees bears on the more than 6,000 acres of timberland that he manages in northeast Florida. The president of a local hunting club, Moore is generally supportive of the new regulations for the bear hunt, even though he and his family members weren't issued a permit this year.

Moore described the management of the 2015 hunt as “fouled up” and “totally wrong" but said, “they’re doing it right this time."

Activists were issued dozens of permits Backers of the hunt have said that growing numbers of bears present a safety problem, with local officials sharing reports of bears on porches, rooting through garbage cans and roaming neighborhoods and playgrounds.

Activists have argued that the state should instead focus on other means of curbing nuisance bears and assuring safety through better trash management.

While opponents failed to convince a judge to stop the hunt, they were issued about a quarter of the overall permits, after activists applied for hunting tags they never intend to use.

“Somewhere out there a bear will be walking the grounds of the Panhandle, and I gave them a stay of execution,” said Joel Cleveland, an opponent of the hunt who was issued one of the permits.