Remarks by His Majesty King Abdullah II's Deputy at the Middle East Green Initiative Summit, held by Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of COP27

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Grace be to God, and prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad.

Your Highnesses, Excellencies,

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.

Allow me first to thank the Arab Republic of Egypt and His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El Sisi for hosting and organising the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27. Our thanks also to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for launching the Middle East Green Initiative.

Jordan has participated in the various technical meetings held within this initiative, out of our belief in their importance and their alignment with our national plans and strategies aimed at increasing vegetation in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, mitigating the impact of climate change, and countering desertification as well as land degradation.

Despite the challenges facing Jordan due to scarce water resources, which have been exacerbated as a result of receiving multiple waves of refugees over the past decade, we have not neglected the importance of protecting the environment in our national plans and strategies. Green economy and climate action are integral to the growth engines launched by Jordan recently within the Economic Modernisation Vision for the next 10 years, which we seek to implement through effective partnerships between public and private sectors, domestically, regionally, and internationally, with the participation of youth and women.

Today, we hope to see progress in implementing this important initiative, which we believe will be the catalyst for adopting policies and initiatives at the national and regional levels to counter the impact of climate change.

In conclusion, we must work together to set innovative policies, programmes, and solutions that guarantee a green and sustainable future for current and future generations.

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.