Middle East Green Initiative, UN Sign MoU on Land Rehabilitation, Vegetation Development

   Riyadh, July 06, 2026, SPA -- The Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Riyadh on Monday to strengthen cooperation on land rehabilitation and vegetation cover development.
   The agreement was signed under the patronage of Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Chairperson of the Ministerial Council of the MGI, and President of the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Abdulrahman Alfadley at the ministry's headquarters.
   Secretary General of the MGI Ibrahim Alturki signed the agreement with Executive Secretary of the UNCCD Yasmine Fouad.
   The MoU aims to establish a sustainable framework for cooperation to address environmental challenges and coordinate regional and international efforts on degraded land rehabilitation and vegetation cover development.
   The agreement focuses on information sharing, capacity building, and knowledge transfer in the fields of vegetation development and combating land degradation. It also seeks to raise awareness among the MGI's member states and strengthen international cooperation, including with the G20 Global Land Initiative launched by Saudi Arabia during its G20 Presidency in 2020.
   Under the MoU, the two sides will work to advance joint activities and programs and mobilize technical and financial resources to support vegetation development and desertification control projects across the region, in line with the MGI's objectives and global efforts to protect ecosystems.
   The agreement highlights Saudi Arabia's regional leadership through the MGI and supports the ministry's efforts to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 by strengthening international partnerships that promote environmental sustainability, curb land degradation, expand vegetation cover, and ensure the sustainability of natural resources for future generations.
   -- SPA