NEW YORK — Saudi Arabia has succeeded in overcoming many of the challenges that faced the water sector, The Undersecretary of the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture for Water Affairs Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Shaibani revealed.

Dr. Al-Shaibani made the remarks during a panel session held in New York by the Kingdom on the sidelines of the UN 2023 Water Conference.

The session saw the participation of several international institutions active in the field of water, including the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Development Program, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Saudi Arabia has highlighted its efforts to address the water woes at the local and international levels, as well as the progress it has achieved in the sector.

It also highlighted, in addition, to touching upon the role of the Saudi National Water Strategy (NWS) 2030 in developing a road map for the sector, contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

During the panel sessions, Dr. Al-Shaibani presented a comprehensive review of the most prominent efforts and achievements of the water sector in the Kingdom through the launch of the NWS 2030.

Dr. Al-Shaibani also highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts to adopt water issues around the world as part of its presidency of the G20, and to support water infrastructure projects in developing countries.

Additionally, he stressed to support and encourage scientific research on water Saudi Arabia has allocated an international award called the “Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water.”

Several speakers from agencies representing the water sector in the Kingdom participated in the sessions of the conference, including the Saline Water Conversion Corporation; the General Irrigation Corporation; the National Water Company, and the Saudi Fund for Development, in addition to ACWA Power as a representative for the private sector.

It is worth mentioning that the UN Water Conference 2023 in New York is hosted by the governments of the Netherlands and Tajikistan.

It aims to provide a platform for initiatives related to the water sector and accelerate work in the field of water to achieve the 6th goal of the sustainable development goals, “Clean Water and Sanitation,” by 2030. — SPA/SG