Sustainable Development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Sustainable Development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a system of global goals aimed at eradicating poverty, protecting the environment and climate, and ensuring peace and prosperity globally. The Kingdom is working to achieve these goals by 2030, in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) and national partners, following the UN's joint strategic framework.

The Kingdom has placed sustainable development at the forefront of national priorities by integrating it into Saudi Vision 2030. It has launched projects and initiatives to achieve economic, social, and environmental sustainability. In 2023, progress was observed in over 50 percent of the sustainable development indicators.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were launched on January 1, 2016, by the United Nations General Assembly. As a member state, the Kingdom has been committed to achieving global sustainable development, starting from within, making achieving these goals a national priority within Saudi Vision 2030. The vision adopts the principles outlined in SDGs and works within its framework to diversify the economy, develop clean technology in major sectors, protect and enhance the environment, raise the quality of life and improve living standards, and foster innovation.

The SDGs comprise seventeen goals, which are: no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace, justice, and strong institutions, and partnerships for the goals.

Since 2017, the Kingdom has been participating annually in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development organized by the UN. The Kingdom presented its first Voluntary National Review (VNR) at the 2018 edition of the forum held at the UN Headquarters in New York. The review provided a comprehensive assessment of the status of the SDGs, their alignment with Saudi Vision 2030, and the measures taken by the government, national entities, the private sector, and civil organizations to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Kingdom presented its second Voluntary National Review at the 2023 edition of the forum, highlighting its achievements towards realizing the SDGs. The Kingdom progressed in over 50 percent of the SDG indicators. The Ministry of Economy and Planning led the preparation of the report and the documentation of accomplishments, in collaboration with nearly one hundred entities, including thirty-eight government agencies, twenty-five private sector companies, seventeen third sector organizations, and sixteen international organizations affiliated with the UN.

The Kingdom aims to achieve the SDGs throughout its developmental journey. It has participated in consultations on the SDGs and has continually renewed its commitment through participation in regional and international forums. In furtherance of these efforts, a Royal Decree was issued entrusting the Minister of Economy and Planning with overseeing the sustainable development file. The Ministry of Economy and Planning is working to develop national plans and strategies and to measure their alignment with the SDGs through its role in strategic and operational planning and by providing the necessary information, data, statistics, and studies to relevant parties.

The Ministry of Economy and Planning has worked to align the performance indicators of relevant government agencies with the SDGs. This aims to create metrics that measure progress at various levels in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030, its executive programs, and the indicators of different entities. Additionally, the ministry has strengthened the role of the private sector in economic sustainability by developing and implementing a framework that encourages large companies to adopt national sustainability standards. This includes launching the National Award for Private Sector Contributions to Sustainable Development, establishing a national platform to enhance corporate contributions, developing and supporting family businesses towards sustainability in their operations, qualifying companies and encouraging them to adopt international 'ISO' standards of the International Organization for Standardization, and incentivizing the Saudi Development Fund and other national funds to include lending criteria for national companies.

The Kingdom continued its efforts to achieve global shared goals and established the 'Sustainable Development Steering Committee' in 2022, consisting of eighteen government entities to oversee the implementation of the SDGs. In the same year, the Kingdom signed the 'United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022-2026' to enhance its partnership with the UN in achieving these goals.

According to the progress report on the SDGs issued by the General Authority for Statistics in 2021, the Kingdom's annual expenditure is directed towards the main areas of the SDGs, namely the health, education, social and economic issues, and infrastructure sectors. These sectors constitute about 60 percent of the SDGs. The second Voluntary National Review report in 2023 recorded several initiatives to support sustainable development in the Kingdom, including: the Saudi Green Initiative focusing on climate action and environmental protection, the Middle East Green Initiative, and the launch of the circular carbon economy concept. Additionally, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) provided financial support for projects aimed at enhancing economic growth and sustainable development in the Kingdom. The 'Quality of Life Program', one of the projects within Saudi Vision 2030, aims to provide a decent life for residents, while several institutions, such as the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), and several business incubators and accelerators, have worked to promote technological development and innovation.

In the social sector, the Kingdom has established a social protection system, which includes social insurance programs and labor market support initiatives to assist citizens in areas such as health, retirement, unemployment insurance and subsidies, housing, education, and employment. In the environmental sector and for natural resource conservation, the Kingdom has committed to increasing renewable energy sources to 50 percent, expanding the scope of its projects, adopting electric vehicles, producing hydrogen, and improving energy efficiency. Additionally, there have been enhancements in the domain of clean water and sanitation.