RIYADH — The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has achieved major national milestones, including increasing waste diversion to 18% of 134 million tons annually, up from 5% in 2018, as part of efforts to advance local and global indicators, improve quality of life, strengthen food and water security, promote environmental sustainability, preserve natural resources, and diversify the economy.

To boost investment and create an attractive business environment, a comprehensive national plan was launched covering all regions of the Kingdom across 22 clusters, aligned with major projects such as NEOM, Al-Ula, and Red Sea Project. The plan includes 387 investment opportunities valued at more than SR700 billion.

Additionally, investment activity included 16 opportunities worth SR260 million and 7 contracts valued at SR35 million, in addition to further agricultural and environmental projects.

In environmental sustainability, achievements include rehabilitating 1 million hectares of degraded land and planting more than 159 million trees, in line with the Saudi Green Initiative’s target of 10 billion trees (40 million hectares).

Meteorology forecast accuracy rose to 88.81% in 2025, up from 88.07% in 2024, supported by a flood forecasting system using 120-hour maps, linked to more than 6,000 drainage outlets and 545 dams. A unified “Saudi Meteorology Platform” is also under development, providing 10-day forecasts across the Kingdom.

Wildlife programs saw the release of 1,593 animals, with 901 more planned by the end of 2025, alongside the development of the 31 million m² Thadiq Breeding Center. More than 84,500 seabirds were recorded, with 5 sites internationally recognized and 39 migration and breeding sites identified. Monitoring programs also documented 1,219 marine sightings, supporting ecosystem conservation.

At the international level, the Kingdom is leading initiatives including the Green Middle East Secretariat, the Riyadh Drought Partnership launched at COP16 in 2024, its presidency of COP16 for 2025–2026, and the Business for Land initiative.

In the water sector, supply exceeded 16 million cubic meters per day, increasing by more than 1 million cubic meters per day, reinforcing the Kingdom’s global leadership in desalination.

A local reverse osmosis plant contributed approximately SR1.5 billion to GDP, while two additional Guinness World Records brought the total to 11, including the largest reverse osmosis desalination system and the lowest energy consumption.

Water services expanded through 57 projects worth SR4.62 billion, raising network coverage to 83.69%, while 33 sanitation projects worth SR2.25 billion increased coverage to 67.05%.

Transmission capacity rose by 2.5 million m³ per day, and storage capacity increased by 2 million m³, reaching 29 million m³, with total system capacity exceeding 18.5 million m³ per day.

Water reuse reached 30%, while conservation efforts saved 40,000 m³ per day, reduced waste by more than 1.4 million m³, and supported more than 2,700 beneficiaries. A total of 2,189 meters were installed, bringing the total to 5,000, alongside the drilling of 38 wells to enhance groundwater resources.

Digital transformation in water licensing included the launch of a unified platform, the Saudi Water Resources Code, and the establishment of the “Desalination Oasis” research center. Additionally, 10 projects worth SR21.897 billion were allocated to boost investment in the sector.

Agricultural output reached 16 million tons, raising sector GDP to SR118 billion, reflecting a 5% growth rate, while the trade deficit declined to SR84 billion from SR86 billion, despite a 4.7% population increase.

Food security financing reached SR6.45 billion, contributing 9.6% to agricultural GDP and accounting for 25% of total financing for modern technologies. Wheat procurement totaled 4.52 million tons, including 900,000 tons of local wheat, 920,000 tons from overseas investments, and 2.7 million tons of imports, with a target of 5.1 million tons next year.

More than 1.3 million tons of strategic goods were supplied locally. Food waste declined to 27.9%, down from 33.1% in 2019—a 16% reduction—alongside the launch of a national platform to reduce food loss and waste.

Date exports increased by 14.3% year-on-year and 59.5% since 2021, reaching SR1.938 billion, with production exceeding 1.9 million tons from more than 37 million palm trees, exported to over 125 countries.

Sector development included the accreditation of 80 export centers, registration of more than 600 farms, and expansion of global partnerships.

Livestock programs vaccinated 41,242,825 animals (73%), with a target of 43,304,966 (78%), while 18 animal diseases were controlled and major equine diseases eliminated. A smart monitoring platform was also launched.

In digital services, 64 e-services were launched via the “Nama” platform, 41 via Tawakkalna, and more than 40 internal services, with full integration across platforms.

The “Nibras” platform was launched to support research and innovation, while the Kingdom ranked 7th in the Emerging Technologies Readiness Index and achieved 100% compliance with UN e-government standards.

The Ministry also received multiple recognitions, including the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2025 award, CMMI certification, ISO 9001 certification, and the Arab Digital Government Award 2025, underscoring its leadership in digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

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