Al-Haqil points to the role of "municipality and housing" in confronting climate change

Monday 08 June 2026
الحقيل يُشير إلى دور "البلدية والاسكان" في مواجهة التغير المناخي

During a dialogue session at the Saudi Green Forum in Sharm El Sheikh

Al-Haqil points to the role of "municipality and housing" in confronting climate change

 

His Excellency the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, Mr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, affirmed the attention given by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to setting the best standards and key performance indicators to meet the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in 2015 and the Kingdom’s commitment to climate change.

This came during His Excellency’s participation in a panel discussion entitled “The Most Leading Cities in the Field of Afforestation” as part of the activities of the first day of the Saudi Green Initiative Forum on the sidelines of the COP27 Climate Conference currently being held in Sharm El Sheikh, stressing that the government is concerned with improving the quality of life; and accordingly, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, along with other ministries, has taken many initiatives and strategies, including the environment, housing, infrastructure, education, health and transportation, with the aim of raising the standard of living in cities and achieving tangible progress with regard to carbon emissions and improving the climate.

His Excellency affirmed that the Ministry is currently integrating these initiatives into urban planning and design processes to ensure that all new projects are implemented based on these standards to achieve the ambitious goal of reaching zero carbon emissions by 2060. He pointed out that the strategy includes: increasing green spaces in urban areas, the Riyadh Green Initiative, and planting 10 billion trees by 2030 to reduce the negative impact of climate change. There is also work focused on developing renewable energy sources, which will lead to increased energy availability in urban areas in all cities, and thus achieve an additional positive impact on city economies and climate improvement.

Al-Haqil pointed out that these initiatives have many positive effects that are reflected in improving the lifestyle, transportation, health, education and the livability of our cities, which will create a broader impact on the overall level of efforts to reach zero carbon neutrality in our cities and contribute with the world to facing the challenges of climate change.

The Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing explained that expanding green spaces in urban areas is the key to all initiatives, and the ministry considers this a goal through which it seeks to raise the main indicators of quality of life, including (the percentage of green spaces and urban open spaces, walkability, happiness, and reducing the temperature).

Al-Haqil stressed the ministry’s commitment to protecting nature through several steps that have been taken recently, including good urban planning with efficient use of resources due to water scarcity. He added that there are plans to make use of our current resources and the efficient use of greywater in irrigation and other industrial uses, as well as facilitating the cultivation of climate-adapted species in the Kingdom, which will require less water and will contribute to addressing some climate challenges, including reducing carbon emissions and temperatures.

His Excellency noted that the Ministry has comprehensive plans that will play a key role in the Kingdom’s initiative for the concept of smart cities, which includes innovation and technology in maintaining infrastructure and smart spatial planning, to accommodate the increasing population in major cities. He added that the Ministry is working with several partners in the private sector to create a smart system for managing waste, which has a severe impact on the climate, by utilizing advanced technologies for waste management and recycling and reducing the rate of landfills.

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia