The Deputy Minister for Water at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Dr. Abdulaziz Alshaibani headed the Kingdom’s delegation participating in the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York from March 22- 24.
During his speech, Dr. Alshaibani confirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on track to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) by 2030 thanks to the restructuring of the water sector and the development of the National Water Strategy. KSA has allocated $ 80 billion for water projects within the coming years as part of Saudi efforts to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
Dr. Al Shaibani added that the Kingdom launched Vision 2030 and adopted the National Water Strategy in line with the goals of sustainable development. The National Water Strategy aims to preserve water resources, protect the environment, and provide high-quality and efficient services. The objectives of the National Water Strategy are in line with SDG6 in enabling access to clean and safe water globally.
"The Kingdom aspires to provide sanitation services to all by increasing the percentage of the population covered by sanitation services to be more than 95% by 2030. Also, KSA established the National Water Efficiency and Conservation Center" Dr. Al Shaibani added.
The Deputy Minister for Water noted that sustainable and resilient water management was on the G20 agenda during Saudi Arabia's presidency. He stressed that the Kingdom is on the right track to improving water demand management in agriculture to achieve SDG6.
The Saudi delegation participated in many plenary sessions and conference meetings. Additionally, the delegation organized a side event that highlights Saudi's experience in water for sustainable development. New initiatives announced to assist in addressing the challenges facing the world, particularly for the least developed countries in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.