Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The fourth day of SGI Talks, Philanthropy in Conversation, featured a conversation between HRH Princess Lamia Bint Majid Al Saud, Secretary General, Alwaleed Philanthropies, and Hala Albarrak, External & International Affairs Advisor, Ministry of Economy and Planning. The session dove deep into the workings of philanthropy, and the many facets of philanthropic action, reflected also in the Saudi Green Initiative's mandate to improve quality of life and protect the environment.

HRH Princess Lamia emphasized the importance of clarity of vision, strong partnership relationships and rigorous data analysis to inform strategy and measure impact, adding “what we do at the Alwaleed Foundation, we do by paying respect to communities and studying them closely to learn more about their traditions”.

HRH elaborated further on the vital importance of data collection to inform the foundation’s strategy and progress: “I think it is our job as NGOs and NPOs to create awareness about what factors affect climate change. Last year we launched Atlai, an innovative awareness creating tool. It is a free AI reporter that detects deforestation and afforestation around the world and can send reports to governments, activists and journalists. We have created over 35,000 reports and have a website viewership of over one million” she explained.

Speaking on the topic of how people can contribute to positive action, Princess Lamia emphasized the importance of individual initiative and responsibility: “In every area nowadays, residents take initiative by themselves... they put out recycling bins. Just doing such a small thing will make people intrigued to understand why they should be interested”.

“I would encourage everyone to not underestimate the effect they have on people” HRH Princess Lamia concluded.

SGI Talks run daily in the SGI Pavilion, at 3pm. Tomorrow will feature a two-part session called Food for Thought, with perspectives from Charlot Magayi, Founder & CEO, Mukuru Clean Stoves, Kenya, and HRH Abdulaziz Bin Saud Al-Saud, co-founder & CEO of Barakah.  

ABOUT THE SAUDI GREEN INITIATIVE (SGI)

Under the patronage of HRH Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Green Initiative is charting a path for the Kingdom in protecting the planet. With ambitious targets spanning the coming decades, the national initiative aims to improve quality of life and protect future generations by increasing reliance on clean energy, offsetting the impact of fossil fuels, and protecting the environment. For more information visit: www.greeninitiatives.gov.sa

SGI AT UNCCD COP16

  • For the duration of COP16, SGI will welcome the public to a 4,000 m² Pavilion in the Green Zone, where the SGI Gallery will be open to visitors from 9:00am to 7:00pm (Fridays 2:00pm to 8:00pm).
  • SGI Talks, a daily expert-led speaker series, will run from December 5–13 in the SGI Gallery at 3:00pm, offering insights from global and Saudi climate leaders on key sustainability trends and innovations.
  • For those following along at home:
    • Visit our website: Saudi Green Initiatives Forum 2024 | Saudi & Middle East Green Initiatives