Madinah Mayor Highlights City's Sustainable Development Model at UN Forum in New York

Mayor of Madinah Region and CEO of the Al Madinah Region Development Authority Eng. Fahad Albulihshi said cities have become key partners in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), enabled by the integrated governance and empowerment framework established under Saudi Vision 2030. He made the remarks during the Local and Regional Governments Forum, held as part of the High-Level Political Forum 2026 on Sustainable Development (HLPF) at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

 During the forum, Eng. Albulihshi presented Madinah's experience as a national model for localizing the SDGs by translating the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 into development policies and initiatives that deliver measurable impact at the local level. He said the city has continued to strengthen its institutional framework for implementing the SDGs based on internationally recognized standards, including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, supporting sustainable investment, data-driven urban planning, informed decision-making, and improved quality of life.

 He noted that Madinah has completed its second Voluntary Local Review (VLR), reinforcing its ongoing efforts to measure progress, monitor development indicators, and formulate evidence-based policies. The review, he said, serves as a bridge between local and national reporting, strengthening integration across different levels of development while enabling cities to exchange best practices and adapt successful models to their own priorities.

 Eng. Albulihshi also highlighted the Atlas of Sustainable Development in Madinah Neighbourhoods, describing it as a pioneering global initiative that analyzes sustainable development indicators at the neighborhood level. He said the city has progressed from implementing individual initiatives to establishing a comprehensive institutional framework that supports planning and decision-making through localized SDG implementation.

 He underscored the importance of accelerating progress toward SDGs 6, 7, 9, and 11, which are the focus of this year's forum, adding that achieving SDG 17 depends on effective partnerships and strong cooperation among stakeholders to ensure that data and public policy translate into meaningful development outcomes.

 He said this people-centered, partnership-driven, and data-based approach contributed to Madinah receiving the 2025 Shanghai Award for sustainable urban development, in recognition of the city's leadership in localizing the SDGs.

 Concluding his remarks, Eng. Albulihshi reaffirmed Madinah's commitment to strengthening partnerships, exchanging expertise, and fostering collaboration to accelerate progress toward the SDGs, emphasizing that the future of sustainable development is built through partnerships, led by cities, and measured by its impact on people's lives.