Introduction

When I first overheard about the opportunity to visit Saudi Arabia on a student program, I must admit, I was intrigued. My understanding of Saudi Arabia at that time was very much limited to what had been channelled through Western, and admittedly biased media sources. Since travelling to KSA however, my understanding of the Kingdom and the region more broadly has been greatly enhanced. No longer do I feel afraid of the Kingdom, but rather intrigued. In my week here I have learnt a lot yet am left with even more questions. I have been surprised by the warmth of the Saudi people, the cultural diversity of the populace and the progressive attitudes of much of society. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here in KSA and cannot thank all those involved enough. I have every intention of carrying my experience forward to family and friends, encouraging others to push beyond their preconceptions and really embrace an individual and personalised experience of different countries and cultures.

This opinion piece will focus on the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the onset and acceleration of climate change. I will begin by outlining where climate change fits into KSA’s 2030 vision. I will proceed to talk about my personal experience of Saudi Arabia and discussions that took place concerning the climate. I will conclude by providing a discussion of contentious issues and a brief conclusion.

Climate Change and KSA’s 2030 vision

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision is broken down into three core tenets and goals. These are to become:

1. the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds

2. the investment powerhouse

3. the hub connecting three continents

Climate change is seamlessly integrated into all three of these goals.

1. A vibrant society

KSA has clearly expressed that Saudi Arabian people live in accordance with Islamic principles, notably the principle of moderation. Accordingly, from my experience I felt as though there was a real pride in living in a beautiful environment. These sentiments are important in responding to climate change, as a love for one’s surrounding environment fosters a greater tendency to care and provide for it. Furthermore, in preserving natural environments, the principles of Islamic duty are being respected. Beyond preserving the natural environment for present purposes, the 2030 vision has also expressed a desire to protect the environment for future generations in order to sustain safe and enjoyable livelihoods. This is to be achieved through efficiency of waste management, recycling projects, reducing pollution and fighting desertification. Coming from Australia, an important challenge facing Saudi Arabia relates to the scarcity of water. This issue is one I find particularly pressing because my home has been ravaged by drought and fire as a result. Whilst Australia has been relatively reactive in response to this crisis, KSA has shown a real interest in being proactive. The Kingdom has shown interest in promoting the most efficient use of water resources through a reduction in consumption as well as introducing reusable water sources.

2. A thriving economy

Saudi Arabia represents an emerging economy in our increasingly globalised world. Importantly, KSA has acknowledged that in order to become an economic and investment powerhouse, the implications of climate change must be assessed and adapted to. Obviously, a key source of Saudi income and foreign investment has traditionally come from oil reserves. I observed this personally whilst visiting Aramco in Damman – a fantastic and really insightful experience. However, what I thought was interesting was that Aramco is not stagnant in the face of climate change and growing pressure to reduce the production of carbon emissions. From my visit to Aramco, they showed a real interest in developing a competitive renewable energy market. It should be acknowledged that there is still a long way to go. It would be naïve to suggest that KSA could ever become a society dependent on renewables, however, steps can be taken to incorporate a combination of renewable and non-renewable sources of energy to meet the Kingdom’s social and economic needs. This is one of the most interesting things to come out of the visit to Damman for me, and I look forward to seeing the direction of Saudi renewables in the future.

3. An ambitious nation

As is so clearly expressed in the 2030 vision document, Saudi Arabia is a highly ambitious emerging nation. Having grown up in Australia, I have witnessed first have the impact which emerging economies such as China can have on the world. The impact of KSA will be greater I should expect, due to its strategic location connecting three continents. With this power, however, comes great responsibility, particularly when it comes to the preservation of resources. Growing emphasis needs to be placed in developing strategic partnerships with nations to ensure access to different natural resources – ranging from food and water, to arable land and renewable energy sources. I predict that the strategic location of the Kingdom, connecting three continents will mean that KSA will come to play an increasingly important role in connecting the economies and resource reserves of different nations, to ensure that the world is able to respond to the inevitable effects of climate change. This was mentioned during the visit to Aramco, where a desire to push beyond an exclusive oil focus was expressed.

Points of discussion: KSA and Climate Change

This section of the opinion piece will focus on a series of climate-related issues that are of particular interest to me. The discussion here is based predominantly on my own experiences within KSA and the insights I gained through various discussions and excursions.

Aramco and climate change

Visiting Saudi Aramco, I must admit that I didn’t really know what to expect. Of course, I had heard that it was the biggest company in the world and was involved in oil, but beyond that my knowledge was, and still is, rather limited. To avoid superficial analysis, it must be acknowledged that the oil drilling industry is inherently harmful for climate change through the disruption to the natural environment and production of emissions. However, I found it interesting during the visit that a number of steps were being taken to offset the negative impact of the industry on the natural environment.

Firstly, when we visited the Drill Simulation 6000, we were told that all operators are retrained and tested every two years. Obviously, this can be principally attributed to safety concerns. Additionally, however, I found it great to hear that another reason was driven by a desire to prevent another BP-style disaster that would have huge environmental implications. As opposed to being reactive to climate events and disasters therefore, this therefore reflects a real proactiveness on behalf of Aramco and effort to mitigate negative climatic implications before they occur. It should be noted however, that only Aramco’s drilling foreman are trained in-house. The other drillers are outsourced along with the rigs. It is important that these staff members are subject to the same level of rigorous training as those trained in house.

Another climate-based feature of the visit to Aramco was the ‘Aramco Missions monitoring centre’ which focused on the company’s role as an ‘environmental steward’. The centre has really taken advantage of the latest technologies and monitors the individual emissions outputs of over two hundred facilities in real time. Beyond these industry related responses to climate change, other initiatives also include solar panels on the carpark rooftop and the plantation of 2.2 million mangrove trees in the Mangrove Eco Park. I think these smaller initiatives are important as to me, it suggests that concerns for the climate have become ingrained into the corporate culture of Saudi Aramco and are not just a superficial aspect of PR or CSR.

Water based tourism

Saudi Arabia has affirmed its continued support to protect sea and ocean ecosystems and reduce sources of marine pollution. The Kingdom places emphasis on solutions to address problems faced by marine ecosystems (including marine pollution, plastic debris, marine acidity (pH), marine biodiversity and marine and coastal ecosystems). Having travelled to the Red Sea before, though from the Egyptian side, I believe that real potential lies in Saudi Arabia’s potential diving industry. The Red Sea has some of the best diving in the world, and this could be a key tourist attraction. In doing so however, the Kingdom will need to balance environmental conversation with facilitating a potential influx of tourists.

Further concern for ‘life below the surface’ in Saudi Arabia was also shown in our visit to the Aramco energy centre. The energy centre was a really interactive and exciting experience. Of particular interest to me was a project called Manifa Mega Oil Project. Extending over 40km into the sea, the project has been a huge source of oil reserves for Saudi Aramco. Importantly however, this profitability of the region has NOT compromised the sustainability of the local environment. Every month, for example, the same square of coral is monitored, and marine animals are counted and tallied. This is done to examine the implications of the project on the marine environment. The natural environment has also been protected through the construction of bridges as opposed to causeways. This has allowed for the natural flow of water, thereby reducing disruptions to the natural environment.

Query: involvement in international conventions

In order to preserve the unique environmental character of the region, as per the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Saudi Arabia is signatory to several international conventions and protocols on climate change. These include the Paris Climate Accord, the Kyoto Protocol and the Montreal Protocol. To avoid superficial analysis, it is important to note that many of these international protocols are lacking practical international support. This raises the question: is the incentive to be involved in such treaties experiencing a decline? There is really no incentive to partake in such treaties when other great powers fail to comply. In this regard, although Saudi Arabia continues to present its contributions to the secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, in a global context, efforts of the international community for adaptation to and alleviation of climate change are seriously limited.

Conclusion

This opinion piece has discussed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s attitudes and approach towards the onset and acceleration of climate change. I began by outlining where considerations for climate change fit with KSA’s 2030 vision. I proceeded to evaluate how effective KSA has been in moving towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals that related to climate change. I concluded with a brief discussion concerning other points of interest which came up throughout my time in the Kingdom.

Once again, I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to be involved in the KSA Gateway program. I feel as though I have come away with a greatly enhanced understanding of the Kingdom – both its economy and society more generally. Beyond this, I made some fantastic friends and had some really eye-opening experiences which I will carry forward with me. 

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My name is Sally Adams and I am a second year International Relations student studying at King’s College London. I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, yet moved to London to pursue my studies in 2018. I have independently travelled to over seven countries and hope to visit many more. My career aspirations lie in the international development field, with a specific interest in microfinance in West Africa.