By Muhammad Rafiq
DUBAI: Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (MEWA) is set to host the inaugural International Forum for Saudi Reef. The event, scheduled for December 16-18, 2024, in Al-Ahsa, aims to empower rural communities and enhance their role in driving sustainable development.
The Head of the Forum’s Executive Committee, Dr. Maha Aldhahi said “The Forum is supported and given great attention by His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Talal bin Badr, Governor of Al-Ahsa.” She added, “It is a pivotal event in advancing rural development, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Saudi Vision 2030.”
Dr. Aldhahi highlighted that the Forum will strengthen rural communities, bring together global experts, and address rural-to-urban migration by offering practical solutions to achieve sustainable rural prosperity. She added the Forum builds on the Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program “Reef Saudi”, recognized by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization as the world’s largest development program of its kind. Moreover, the Reef Saudi Program’s success in supporting more than 77,000 agricultural projects. This has resulted in achieving over 65% of the program’s targets in the Kingdom’s vital sectors.
The Secretary-General of the Reef Saudi Program Eng. Ghassan Bakri stated that the program represents an outstanding model for sustainable development. It addresses issues such as food security, job creation, and preserving authentic cultural heritage. The program also focuses on building global partnerships, sharing best practices in sustainable agriculture and rural entrepreneurship, and highlighting the integration of traditional agricultural techniques with modern innovations.
The First International Forum of its kind within the framework of the Reef Saudi Program aims to establish developmental foundations that support communities locally and globally. Through this initiative, the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture seeks to contribute effectively to building a more sustainable and resilient future. The forum strives to achieve a balance between rural and urban development, in alignment with the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030.
