UN Recognizes Saudi Arabia as Global Model for Water Resources Management

The United Nations Water Committee (UN-Water) has selected Saudi Arabia as a leading global model for achieving the Degree of Integrated Water Resources Management Implementation Index (6.5.1) under Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), recognizing the Kingdom’s progress in this field.
 The recognition was announced during a preparatory workshop held to examine Saudi Arabia’s success in accelerating integrated water resources management. The event, hosted at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture in Riyadh, was inaugurated by the ministry’s Undersecretary for Water Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Shaibani. It brought together 40 participants from government entities, international organizations, civil society, academia, and the private sector.
 Dr. Al-Shaibani described the UN’s selection as a testament to Saudi Arabia’s achievements in water resource management, aligning with Vision 2030 and the National Water Strategy 2030. He highlighted that UN-Water is conducting a case study to document the Kingdom’s approach, which will serve as a model for other countries seeking to enhance their water management strategies.
 He reiterated that the workshop reviewed initial findings and key messages from the UN study, emphasizing how Saudi Arabia’s best practices can be leveraged globally to accelerate progress toward SDG 6, which has been progressing slowly in achieving water management goals by 2030.