From action to acceleration – The Royal Commission for AlUla’s vision supports sustainable regeneration and reinforces the pillars of SGI

Today, the Saudi Green Initiative Forum 2022 begins in Sharm El Sheikh. Climate change is a central topic for organizations across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.

For our part, at the The Royal Commission for AlUla we have undertaken the sustainable and comprehensive regeneration of 22,561 sq km of north-west KSA as a leading global destination for natural and cultural heritage. It’s a big job – fortunately, the three pillars of SGI provide an authoritative framework for making progress while conserving nature. In this way, Saudi Arabia can set an example for the world.

In #AlUla, our goals are turning ambitions from action to acceleration.?

Pillar one: Reducing emissions

RCU’s environment-first targets for #AlUla include being net carbon-neutral by 2035, excluding air travel and food imports. This target is embedded in the #AlUla Sustainability Charter, a 12-point document that is informed by SGI goals and that guides our thinking at #AlUla. The Sustainability Charter seeks to design safe and healthy environments within the circular economy, wherein cradle-to-cradle solutions enable the use, recovery and reuse of products and materials.

In energy, #AlUla will produce 500-plus megawatts of clean power featuring a solar photovoltaic and battery farm.?

In transportation, RCU has begun design work on phase one of our low-carbon experiential tram running roughly 50 km from the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Hegra south to #AlUla International Airport. We have also launched zero-emission, electricity-powered autonomous pods for residents and visitors, and recently graduated the system’s first cohort of control-room operators.

With these commitments, we push back against global warming, in line with the objectives of SGI.

Pillar two: Greening Saudi

Allow me to emphasise one of the many ways in which RCU contributes to the greening of KSA: the Cultural Oasis.

The Cultural Oasis is one of our flagship projects. This “green lung” of #AlUla will be a 9km stretch of?land providing a venue for sustainable agricultural production while also?creating a unique cultural experience for visitors.

Because 60 percent of the area of the Cultural Oasis was abandoned over the years due to lack of water and unsustainable farming practices, a rejuvenation strategy is required that combines sustainable agriculture with tourism activation. The regeneration of the Cultural Oasis as a living space will trigger a major expansion of AlUla’s green and open spaces and rehabilitate up to 10 million square metres of land, thereby contributing to SGI.?

The Cultural Oasis will be a case study for sustainable formation of a landscape policy for Saudi Arabia involving the local community. Young farmers are being encouraged to take ownership of their land and develop it into a productive agricultural zone. The community will benefit as private farms and eco-lodges support the revival of agriculture.

Pillar three: Protecting land and sea

Protection of the natural habitat is one of the main ambitions of RCU, in line with the goals of Vision 2030 and SGI.

By 2030, RCU aims to have rehabilitated 65,000 hectares of degraded land across #AlUla County.

And by 2035, at least 80% of #AlUla County?will be under conservation. That’s roughly 18,000 square kilometres: an area 1.7 times the size of Lebanon. We will create five nature reserves within this protected area and unlock their potential as fully functioning ecosystems. Biodiversity will thrive, for both flora and fauna.?

RCU is gradually reintroducing native species to the wild. In March and April, with the assistance of the National Center for Wildlife, RCU released 80 Arabian oryx, sand gazelles and Nubian ibex into the AlGharameel and Wadi Nakhlah nature reserves. It was the first time in more than 50 years that oryx had roamed the sands of AlGharameel. RCU will eventually rehabilitate the ecosystem to the point where it can support the return of the Arabian Leopard, an apex predator.

Conclusion

By building in line with the SGI pillars, RCU makes #AlUla a better place for residents, workers and visitors. We want people to feel at home here; and at the same time, we must respect our larger home, the planet.?

If we can do this we will ensure that people have beautiful moments in harmony with nature, as in the past. In the 1870s when the British traveller Charles Doughty was at #AlUla he expressed his regret at having to depart with these idyllic words: “I should otherwise have thought it great peace and refreshment, to stay still shadowing out some days in pleasant discourse in the sweet lemon-groves...”