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RIYADH: �������� reaffirmed its leadership in supporting international efforts to combat land degradation and drought and to promote environmental sustainability. It also contributes to global initiatives to protect natural resources.

The statement came during ��������’s participation in the G20 Ministers of Environment and Climate Change meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Saudi delegation was headed by Osama Faqeeha, deputy minister for the environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

The meeting aimed to strengthen international cooperation on environmental challenges and ecosystem protection, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

Faqeeha highlighted ��������’s role in advancing environmental protection nationally, regionally, and internationally.

He pointed to initiatives launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative — and the National Environment Strategy.

He also noted the Kingdom’s progress in expanding afforestation projects, combating desertification, rehabilitating degraded lands, and increasing protected areas by more than 400 percent.

Faqeeha underscored ��������’s role in the G20, including launching the Global Initiative to Reduce Land Degradation and the Global Coral Reef Initiative during its 2020 G20 presidency.

He said the Kingdom has influenced global environmental dialogue, particularly by hosting the 16th UN Convention to Combat Desertification Conference in Riyadh in 2024.

The conference, the largest in the convention’s history, led to the Riyadh Declaration and more than 35 resolutions on sustainable land management, community empowerment, and research innovation.

About 40 initiatives were introduced as part of the Riyadh Agenda, including the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, aimed at strengthening global cooperation against drought.

RIYADH: Members of ��������’s Project Masam removed 1,191 explosive devices from various regions of Yemen last week.

The total included 1,135 unexploded ordnances, 49 anti-tank mines, five anti-personnel mines and two improvised explosive devices, according to a recent report.

Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the initiative’s managing director, said that 519,824 mines have been cleared since the project began in 2018.

The explosives were planted indiscriminately and posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.

The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.

The project trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.

Teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate the safe movement of civilians and delivery of humanitarian aid.