Saudi Arabia to hand over COP presidency to Mongolia at COP17

According to the Saudi Gazette, Saudi Arabia is set to formally hand over the presidency of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to Mongolia during the upcoming COP17 summit this Monday. This transition marks the conclusion of a significant term for the Kingdom, which hosted COP16 in Riyadh in December 2024. That event was noted as the largest session in the convention's history, bringing together representatives from 197 parties to address critical environmental challenges.

During the conference held from August 17 to 28, Saudi officials highlighted the progress of several major international initiatives launched under their leadership. Central to these efforts were the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership (RGDRP) and the Riyadh Action Agenda, which saw a substantial expansion in scope, growing from 35 to over 100 distinct initiatives. The Kingdom also showcased the International Initiative for Early Warning for Sand and Dust Storms and the Business4Land initiative, both aimed at fostering global cooperation on land restoration.

Reflecting on the impact of the Riyadh summit, organizers noted that the conference successfully adopted 39 formal decisions and mobilized more than $12 billion in funding to support global land restoration and drought resilience efforts. As the presidency shifts to Mongolia, Saudi Arabia plans to maintain its engagement through a national pavilion in the Blue Zone at COP17, which will feature more than 40 exhibits detailing the Kingdom's ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability and international climate partnerships.