RIYADH — Saudi Arabia will hand over the COP presidency to Mongolia at COP17 on Monday, concluding a term marked by the launch and implementation of several international initiatives and partnerships following COP16 in Riyadh.
During the conference, held from August 17 to 28, Saudi Arabia will highlight progress made during its presidency, including the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership (RGDRP) and the Riyadh Action Agenda, which expanded from 35 to more than 100 initiatives.
It will also showcase the International Initiative for Early Warning for Sand and Dust Storms and the Business4Land initiative.
The Kingdom hosted COP16 in Riyadh in December 2024, the largest session in the convention’s history, with 197 parties — 196 countries and the European Union.
The conference adopted 39 decisions and mobilized more than $12 billion to support land restoration and drought resilience.
At COP17, Saudi Arabia will operate a national pavilion in the Blue Zone featuring more than 40 side events, as well as a dedicated Middle East Green Initiative pavilion.
The Kingdom will also chair the final COP Bureau meeting before handing over the presidency to Mongolia and hold meetings related to the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership.
Saudi Arabia said it looks forward to continuing cooperation with all parties to advance the convention’s objectives, strengthen global land restoration efforts, and build resilience to drought.
Source: Saudi Gazette