New York, September 25, Representing the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Faisal F. Alibrahim, the Minister of Economy and Planning, led Saudi Arabia's delegation to the Sustainable Development Goals Summit 2023. This event, which took place during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week in New York on September 18-19, saw Minister Alibrahim delivering the Kingdom's address, emphasizing the significance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in guiding the path toward shared prosperity and sustainability.
Alibrahim asserted that Saudi Arabia is rapidly emerging as a global investment powerhouse, playing a vital role in mobilizing resources for sustainable growth. He highlighted the Kingdom's substantial contributions to international aid, amounting to over $87 billion, which have supported over 5,000 projects across 166 countries. Additionally, he noted Saudi Arabia's initiatives in developing Green Financing Frameworks and sustainability disclosures, resulting in more than $10 billion in green funding raised within the Kingdom over the past two years.
The establishment of the Global Water Organization was another key focus, with Alibrahim characterizing it as a significant step toward international innovation and resource conservation. He called upon nations worldwide to collaborate, share expertise, and invest in a more sustainable future.
Alibrahim concluded by affirming Saudi Arabia's commitment to global financial system reforms and the necessity of collective efforts to address complex global challenges.
During the SDG Summit, Minister Alibrahim held meetings with senior officials to discuss strengthening economic and trade relations and matters of mutual interest. Among his interactions were meetings with the Swedish Minister of International Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Johan Forssell, State Secretary at the German Federal Chancellery, Jorg Kukies, and President and Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact, Sanda Ojiambo.
This year's SDG Summit marked the second such event since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in 2015. It featured six Leaders' Dialogues where heads of state and governments made concrete national commitments to advance SDG transformation.
