Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received yesterday a phone call from Saudi Arabia Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. During the call, discussion focused on the Middle East Green Initiative announced by the Saudi Crown Prince, which aims, in partnership with the countries of the region, to plant 50 billion trees as the largest reforestation program in the world.

His Highness Sheikh Nawaf lauded the efforts exerted by the Saudi Crown Prince and appreciated the initiative, expressing Kuwait's readiness to work with the Kingdom to achieve the initiative's goal. His Highness the Amir wished Saudi Arabia further progress and prosperity, under the wise leadership of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

The Saudi Crown Prince had also called the leaders of Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq and Sudan to discuss a massive regional tree-planting project, state news agency (SPA) reported early yesterday. "The Middle East Green Initiative aims, in partnership with the countries of the region, to plant 50 billion trees as the largest reforestation program in the world," SPA said. The Saudi Crown Prince unveiled the ambitious campaign on Saturday that sees Saudi Arabia planting 10 billion trees in coming decades and working with other Arab states to plant another 40 billion trees, to reduce carbon emissions and combat pollution and land degradation.

SPA added that initiative also aims "to enhance the efficiency of oil production and increase the contribution of renewable energy, in addition to multiple efforts to preserve the marine and coastal environment, and increase the percentage of natural reserves". The Saudi Green Initiative is part of the prince's Vision 2030 plan to reduce its reliance on oil revenues and improve quality of life.

"The kingdom, the region and the world needs to go much further and faster in combatting climate change," Prince Mohammed said on Saturday. "We reject the false choice between preserving the economy and protecting the environment." The statement did not elaborate on how the mammoth plan would be executed in a largely desert landscape with extremely limited renewable water sources.

Saudi Arabia currently draws on oil and natural gas to both meet its own fast-growing power demand and desalinate its water - which consumes huge quantities of oil daily. The new initiatives are part of the prince's Vision 2030 plan to diversify the kingdom's oil-reliant economy.

Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia and the region face "significant climate challenges", including desertification, which poses an "immediate economic risk". Some $13 billion is lost annually due to sand storms in the region, while pollution from greenhouse gases has reduced average Saudi life expectancy by 1.5 years, he added. - Agencies