Saudi Arabia Leads Rangeland Sustainability at Arab Forum

Saudi Arabia, represented by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, participated in the fifth Arab Forum for Environment, held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in Cairo, where the Kingdom presented its national, regional, and international efforts to combat land degradation and restore rangelands. The forum, organized under the theme of sustainable rangelands for enhanced resilience, convened ahead of the 37th session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs, bringing together senior environmental officials and experts from across the Arab world.

At the center of the Kingdom’s message was a simple but urgent truth: rangelands are not wasteland. They are living infrastructure that stabilizes soil, sustains wildlife, replenishes groundwater, and shields communities from dust storms. With rangelands covering roughly 70 percent of Saudi Arabia’s territory, their health is inseparable from the Kingdom’s environmental security and economic future. The Saudi delegation’s participation reflects a broader conviction that desertification is a shared Arab challenge requiring coordinated, well-financed, and science-driven responses. As the Kingdom advances its Vision 2030 goals, restoring degraded land has become a national priority with regional and global dimensions.

Context and Background

Why does a regional environmental forum in Cairo matter to the future of the Arab world? The fifth Arab Forum for Environment was convened at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, a setting that underscores the collective nature of the challenge. The forum focused on sustainable rangelands for enhanced resilience and served as a preparatory platform ahead of the 37th session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs, the principal ministerial body coordinating Arab environmental policy.

Saudi Arabia’s participation was led by Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture for Environment, who joined a high-level panel discussion titled ‘From Fragility to Resilience,’ with a focus on rangeland restoration and financing the transition. His remarks situated the Kingdom’s domestic programs within a wider Arab and international framework, emphasizing that land degradation is not confined by borders. Dust storms, loss of biodiversity, and declining soil productivity affect entire regions, making cooperation essential rather than optional.

The timing of the forum is significant. Arab states face mounting pressure from climate variability, water scarcity, and unsustainable land-use practices. Rangelands, often overlooked in environmental policy, are increasingly recognized as a frontline defense against these pressures. By elevating rangeland restoration to a ministerial-level discussion, the forum signals a shift from fragmented national responses toward a more unified regional approach, with Saudi Arabia playing a prominent role in shaping that agenda.

Key Details

What exactly did Saudi Arabia bring to the table in Cairo? Faqeeha outlined a comprehensive national commitment to curb land degradation and promote the restoration of degraded land, including rangelands, at the national, regional, and international levels. He highlighted the Kingdom’s work through the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI), a landmark regional effort to plant billions of trees and restore degraded ecosystems across the Middle East, as well as its engagement through the G20.

Central to the Saudi presentation was the Kingdom’s presidency of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). That presidency, according to Faqeeha, resulted in important decisions related to rangelands and several implementation initiatives, translating high-level commitments into actionable programs. The outcomes of COP16 have provided a framework that Arab states can now adapt to their own national contexts, with Saudi Arabia offering both leadership and technical experience.

Faqeeha also shared a striking ecological fact: Saudi Arabia is home to more than 2,000 plant species, many of which are found in rangelands. This botanical richness is not merely a matter of national pride. It represents genetic resources, medicinal potential, and the ecological foundation upon which rural livelihoods depend. He emphasized that rangelands help stabilize soil, support wildlife, replenish groundwater, and reduce dust storms, while warning of the environmental, social, and economic impacts of overgrazing and early grazing, practices that can undermine decades of restoration work if left unmanaged.

International and Regional Impact

How does Saudi leadership on rangelands resonate beyond the Kingdom’s borders? The Arab Forum for Environment provided a platform for aligning national strategies with regional goals, and Saudi Arabia’s experience offers a replicable model. The Middle East Green Initiative, launched under Saudi leadership, is one of the largest reforestation and land-restoration programs in the world, and its objectives dovetail with the UNCCD’s global targets. By sharing its approach, the Kingdom helps smaller Arab states design their own restoration programs without starting from scratch.

The forum’s focus on financing the transition from fragility to resilience also addressed a practical bottleneck. Restoration requires sustained investment, technical capacity, and monitoring systems. Saudi Arabia’s message was that financing mechanisms must be innovative and inclusive, drawing on public funds, private capital, and international partnerships. This aligns with broader Arab efforts to integrate environmental sustainability into economic planning, ensuring that restoration creates jobs, supports food security, and strengthens community resilience rather than being treated as a cost center.

Regionally, the discussions in Cairo reinforce the Arab League’s role as a convening power on environmental issues. The 37th session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs will carry forward the forum’s recommendations, and Saudi Arabia is expected to remain a driving force. The Kingdom’s dual role as a regional leader and a global convener, through the G20 and UNCCD, positions it uniquely to bridge Arab priorities with international climate and land agendas.

Economic and Strategic Significance

Why should economists and investors pay attention to rangeland restoration? Healthy rangelands are an economic asset. They support livestock production, which underpins rural incomes across the Arab world. They protect infrastructure from dust storms, reducing maintenance costs for roads, airports, and solar installations. They enhance groundwater recharge, a critical service in one of the world’s most water-scarce regions. When rangelands degrade, these services decline, and the costs are borne by governments, businesses, and communities alike.

Saudi Arabia’s strategic approach treats restoration as an investment, not an expense. The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 agenda emphasizes environmental sustainability as a pillar of economic diversification and quality of life. By restoring rangelands, Saudi Arabia strengthens its food security, reduces vulnerability to climate shocks, and creates green jobs in monitoring, seeding, and sustainable grazing management. These outcomes align with the Public Investment Fund’s broader portfolio of green initiatives and the Kingdom’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2060.

Furthermore, the Kingdom’s leadership on land degradation enhances its diplomatic capital. Hosting COP16 and driving decisions on rangelands positioned Saudi Arabia as a constructive global actor on environmental issues, countering outdated perceptions and showcasing its capacity to convene, negotiate, and deliver. For international partners, this opens avenues for collaboration on research, technology transfer, and joint restoration projects, all of which contribute to the Kingdom’s knowledge economy ambitions.

Vision 2030 Alignment

How does rangeland sustainability connect to Saudi Arabia’s long-term vision? Vision 2030 is built on three pillars: a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation. Environmental stewardship cuts across all three. The Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative are flagship programs under this framework, targeting the restoration of millions of hectares of degraded land and the planting of billions of trees. Rangelands are central to these targets, given their vast extent and ecological importance.

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has been tasked with implementing these ambitions on the ground, from regulating grazing to developing seed banks and monitoring systems. The Kingdom’s participation in the Arab Forum for Environment demonstrates that Vision 2030 is not an isolated national project but part of a regional and global endeavor. As Saudi Arabia continues to lead on desertification, biodiversity, and climate resilience, it reinforces its role as a responsible global citizen and a catalyst for sustainable development in the Arab world and beyond.

Looking ahead, the Kingdom’s efforts will be measured not only in hectares restored but in the resilience of communities, the health of ecosystems, and the strength of partnerships. The message from Cairo is clear: Saudi Arabia is committed to turning fragility into resilience, and it invites the world to join that journey.

20 Questions

Q1. What was the fifth Arab Forum for Environment?

A1. It was a regional environmental forum held at the League of Arab States headquarters in Cairo, focused on sustainable rangelands for enhanced resilience, and it preceded the 37th session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs.

Q2. Who represented Saudi Arabia at the forum?

A2. Saudi Arabia was represented by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, with Deputy Minister for Environment Osama Faqeeha leading the delegation and speaking on a high-level panel.

Q3. What percentage of Saudi Arabia’s territory is covered by rangelands?

A3. According to Deputy Minister Osama Faqeeha, rangelands cover about 70 percent of Saudi Arabia’s territory, making them a critical component of the Kingdom’s environmental landscape.

Q4. How many plant species are found in Saudi Arabia?

A4. Saudi Arabia is home to more than 2,000 plant species, many of which are found in rangelands, according to the Deputy Minister’s remarks at the forum.

Q5. What benefits do rangelands provide?

A5. Rangelands help stabilize soil, support wildlife, replenish groundwater, and reduce dust storms, making them essential for environmental stability and community resilience.

Q6. What did Faqeeha warn about regarding grazing practices?

A6. He warned of the environmental, social, and economic impacts of overgrazing and early grazing, which can degrade rangelands and undermine restoration efforts.

Q7. What is the Middle East Green Initiative?

A7. The Middle East Green Initiative is a Saudi-led regional effort to plant billions of trees and restore degraded ecosystems across the Middle East, addressing climate and land degradation challenges.

Q8. What was Saudi Arabia’s role at COP16 to the UNCCD?

A8. Saudi Arabia held the presidency of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which produced important decisions on rangelands and implementation initiatives.

Q9. What does UNCCD stand for?

A9. UNCCD stands for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, a global agreement addressing land degradation and drought, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.

Q10. How does Saudi Arabia engage through the G20 on land issues?

A10. Saudi Arabia uses its G20 platform to promote sustainable land management and restoration, aligning global economic discussions with environmental resilience and desertification control.

Q11. Why is financing rangeland restoration important?

A11. Financing is essential to scale restoration, develop technical capacity, and sustain monitoring, ensuring that efforts move from short-term projects to long-term resilience.

Q12. What is the theme of the fifth Arab Forum for Environment?

A12. The theme was sustainable rangelands for enhanced resilience, highlighting the role of healthy rangelands in combating desertification and supporting communities.

Q13. What is the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs?

A13. It is the principal ministerial body coordinating environmental policy across Arab states, and its 37th session followed the forum to advance regional environmental cooperation.

Q14. How do rangelands support groundwater?

A14. Healthy rangelands improve soil structure and infiltration, allowing rainwater to recharge groundwater aquifers, which is vital in water-scarce regions like Saudi Arabia.

Q15. What impact do dust storms have that rangelands help reduce?

A15. Dust storms affect health, transport, and infrastructure; rangelands with vegetation cover stabilize soil and reduce the frequency and intensity of these storms.

Q16. How does rangeland restoration align with Vision 2030?

A16. It supports environmental sustainability, food security, and quality of life, which are core Vision 2030 objectives, and contributes to the Saudi Green Initiative targets.

Q17. What are the social impacts of overgrazing?

A17. Overgrazing can reduce livestock productivity, threaten rural livelihoods, and accelerate land degradation, affecting communities that depend on rangelands for income and food.

Q18. What role do plant species in rangelands play?

A18. They provide ecological stability, support biodiversity, offer potential medicinal and genetic resources, and contribute to soil health and carbon storage.

Q19. How does Saudi Arabia cooperate regionally on environmental issues?

A19. Saudi Arabia participates in Arab League forums, shares expertise, and leads initiatives like the Middle East Green Initiative to foster collective action on shared environmental challenges.

Q20. What is the expected outcome of the forum for Arab states?

A20. The forum aims to strengthen regional cooperation, advance rangeland restoration, and inform the 37th session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs with actionable recommendations.

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