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UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY
Proposal for Review
Country:
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Project Title:
Enabling Activities to support Saudi Arabia in responding to its
Commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC)
GEF Focal Area:
Climate Change
Country Eligibility:
Ratified UNFCCC: 28 December 1994
GEF Financing:
US $ 350,000
GEF Implementing Agency:
UNDP
Executing Agency:
Government of Saudi Arabia
Local Counterpart Agency:
Meteorology & Environmental Protection Administration (MEPA)
GEF Operational Focal Point: Dr Nizar Ibrahim Tawfiq, President, MEPA
Estimated Starting Date:
April 2002
Project Duration:
2 Years
Preparation Costs:
US $ 15,000 (in kind from UNDP)
1. Background and project context*
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a vast country covering almost 80% of the Arabian Peninsula with a
total area of 2.15 million km2. It is bordered by seven countries (Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Yemen, Oman,
UAE, and Qatar) and two seas; Red Sea on the west and the Arabian Gulf on the east. The country has
an arid climate with an average annual rainfall of 70.5 mm. In 1999, the population of the country was
estimated to be 21.4 million (of which around 5.4 M are non-Saudis) with an annual growth rate of
2.8%. Almost 63% of the population is concentrated in the urban areas.
Over the last three decades, the Kingdom has witnessed a rapid expansion in all sectors of the
economy. The country has managed to build a vast infrastructure providing social services to all
citizens, evident from the high shares of budget expenditure on sectors such as education, health and
transport. In 1999, the human resources development expenditure amounted to 53.8% of the total
*
Source: Information and figures of this section have been derived mainly from the Kingdom’s 7 th Development
Plan (2000-2004) and the UNDP Human Development Report 2000
budget. By 1999, the GDP per capita reached US $7,000 and the Kingdom ranked 75th on the UNDP
Human Development Index. The economy is still dominated by the oil sector representing 31% of the
GDP and making up almost two-third of the government budget revenues. However, as the seventh 5year development plan (2000-2004) indicated, the Saudi economy is undergoing a major transition
towards reducing dependence on the oil sector through the diversification of sources of economic
income to finance development. In this regard, a number of economic reforms have been adopted to
realize this transition. Among these are measures to attract foreign direct investment, initiation of
privatization process and opening up the country for tourism. In line with these changes, new
institutional frameworks have been established. At the highest level, the Supreme Economic Council
headed by the Crown Prince and Deputy Premier has been established to guide the economy. The Saudi
Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), the Higher Authority for Tourism, and the Higher
Commission for Privatization have also been created.
Table 1. GDP Structure of the Saudi Economy
Economic Sector/Sub-sector
Value (billion SR)
Non Oil Sector
 Agriculture
 Mining (non-oil)
 Industry
 Others
Service Sector
 Commerce, Transportation &
Communications.
 Government Services
Oil & Gas Sector
Others
130.5
34.7
2.2
45.3
48.3
194.8
GDP
475.6
110.3
84.5
147.8
2.5
Ratio to GDP (%)
27.4
7.2
0.5
9.5
10.2
41
23.2
17.8
31
0.6
100
Almost two-thirds of the country is arid plain and mountains and most of the remainder is sand desert.
Only 2% of the country’s land area is considered arable, with the chief agricultural crops including
dates, wheat, barley and fruits. Therefore, agriculture sector makes up only 7.3% of the GDP. Because
of limited renewable water resources, the Kingdom has recently adopted agricultural policies to ensure
that food production (plant and animal) does not lead to the overexploitation of limited renewable water
resources, overgrazing, soil erosion and ultimately to desertification. The national development plan
calls for the development and implementation of a national strategy and action programme to combat
desertification. Saudi Arabia ratified the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in 1995
and has submitted its initial national report to the Convention Secretariat in 2000*.
*
Visit http://www.unccd.int/cop/reports/asia/national/2000/saudi_arabia-ara.pdf
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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has the world’s largest proven oil reserve. Its oil production is the
highest among OPEC countries and therefore has a strong presence in the international oil market. The
Government strategy is to expand the processing of crude oil to ensure high return for its oil prior to
exportation to the international market. Therefore, expansion in the magnitude and variety of gas and
petrochemical industries is evident with the establishment and continuous development and expansion
of the two industrial complexes in the cities of Al Jubail and Yanbua. Domestic energy consumption is
estimated in 1999 to be at 1.6 million barrel equivalent.
Gas and oil are the main sources for electricity generation in the Kingdom. There is also significant
amount of electricity (about 20%) co-generated from dual desalination plants. A number of pilot
research and development projects to use solar energy in remote areas are being implemented by King
Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). However, their application is not widespread.
Average electricity consumption amounted to 36 MW hours per capita in 1998. Total energy
consumption amounted to total 97050 million kWh in 1998. The electricity sector is recently
restructured with the aim of reaching economic efficiency and encouraging private sector participation.
The measures also include gradual steps to adjust electricity price structure to reflect actual costs and to
promote at the same time energy conservation and efficiencies in all economic sectors.
Due to the rapid economic expansion and urbanization the country is faced with many environmental
challenges. On top of these challenges is the limited renewable freshwater surface and groundwater
resources critical to gear development. The country is relying on costly desalinated water technologies
for domestic use. Other issues include water and air pollution, coastal development, biodiversity and
desertification. However, the Government has taken the environmental conservation agenda along side
national development. The seventh national development plan reiterated such policy and called for
collective efforts by concerned governmental, non-governmental institutions and the general public to
conserve the country’s valuable environmental and wildlife resources.
Despite that the economy depends largely on oil, the Kingdom has spared no efforts to be concerned of
and to support addressing global environmental issues such climate change. However, the government
maintained that such issues should not harm or jeopardize the economies of the developing countries,
especially those who heavily depend on oil. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ratified the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1994 and is a very active member in all
negotiations in the Conference of Parties (CoP) and its subsidiary bodies. The Government has set up a
high level ministerial committee to deal with environmental issues including the climate change issues.
The Environmental Policy and Legal Framework: Article 32 of the Royal Decree on the “Basic
System of Governance” has declared that the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques is committed “to protect and develop the environment and prevent pollution”. This has
created a mandate to translate this important message into concrete actions on the policy, strategy,
program and project level.
In recognition of the importance of the environment at the national and international level, the
environmental policy framework of the Kingdom was restructured by the establishment of the
Ministerial Committee on Environment (MCE) under the chairmanship of HRH the Second Deputy
Premier and Minister of Defense and Aviation, and the Inspector General. The MCE is the highest
environmental authority in the Kingdom and has been designed to address both policy and
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implementation issues. The MCE is represented by the Ministers of Agriculture and Water, Industry
and Electricity, Finance and National Economy, Foreign Affairs, Health, Interior, Municipal and
Rural Affairs, and Petroleum and Mineral Resources as well as the president of King Abdulaziz City
For Science and Technology (KACST) and the president of MEPA who has been designated as the
Secretary General of MCE. The MCE is assisted by a preparatory committee chaired by HH
Assistant to HRH the Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense and Aviation, and the
Inspector General.
The Meteorology and Environmental Protection Administration (MEPA) is the central agency for
environment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is part of the Ministry of Defense and Aviation.
MEPA’s functions and responsibilities include proposing environmental laws and regulations,
assessment and evaluation of pollution levels and planning and management of environmental
emergencies such as oil spill etc.
2. Project objectives
The long-term development objective of the project is to promote the understanding of linkages and the
better integration between environment and development within the national and global context in
order to achieve the long-term sustainable human development. While the primary short-term objective
of the project is to assist the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to respond to its obligation under article 12 of
the UNFCCC through the preparation of the first National Communication. In the long-term, the
project will also contribute to strengthening the country’s capacity in dealing with climate change
issues as it relates to the national development objectives in key economic sectors such as energy,
industry and agriculture.
3. Project description
The proposed project is focused on activities that will ensure systematic and accelerated preparation of
the first National Communication and report to the UNFCCC required under its article no. 12. The
project will provide support for the systematic preparation of the National Communication through six
major outputs; 1) effective Co-ordination and Networking among government institutions; 2) raising
awareness and broadening participation; 3) preparations of technical reports; 4) organizing sectoral and
cross-sectoral workshops and seminars; 5) capacity building and experience exchange with
international institutions; and 6) final production of the National Communication. Annex I provide
summary of activities that will be covered in the preparation of the national communication.
Output 1. Climate Change Co-ordination Unit established, and co-ordination and networking among
relevant institutions enhanced
Because of its central role, strengthening the capacity of the national environment agency, MEPA, for
the effective coordination between relevant national institutions to work towards common goal of
addressing global climate change issues is crucial to achieving the project objective. This will be
realized through the implementation of the activities described below.
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Activity 1.1 Establishing a small climate change coordination unit at MEPA consisting of project
coordinator, part time technical staff and secretarial support. The unit will serve as the technical and
administrative secretariat for the national climate change team providing necessary background
material, preparing meetings, dissemination of information, and producing and distributing reports. The
office space and furniture will be provided by the Government, but necessary equipment and Internet
communication facilities will be purchased through the project. The project will also support the
electronic connectivity among members of the climate change committee by the provision of e-mail
subscriptions and required training, as appropriate.
Activity 1.2. Develop a dedicated website for the climate change project to post information related to
the initiative and to achieve better interaction with similar GEF projects. The website design will
incorporate an Intranet site that is only accessible by authorized members to facilitate document
transfer between the members in order to speed up document reviews and finalization.
Output 2. The participation of relevant national institutions is broadened
This output is necessary to ensure defining coherent national policies on climate change issues by
active participation of key national institutions. The project will promote interactions with as many
relevant national institutions as possible to promote policy dialogue and to give adequate scrutiny to
each specialized reports related to options, impact, mitigation and adaptation. Activities planned to
achieve the output are described below.
Activity 2.1 Organize a project initiation workshop with participants from all the relevant sectors to
present the objectives of the project, to clarify links to other relevant ongoing national and
international activities, and to clarify the institutional and other practical arrangements to facilitate a
successful implementation of the project
Activity 2.2 Conduct a national seminar on climate change issues to be attended by relevant
government institutions, universities, interested groups, media, etc.
Activity 2.3 Conduct a general training workshop on climate change issues for the participating
institutions and experts to build awareness and basic technical capacity. The project will benefit from
existing training material produced by various international programmes such as the CC:TRAIN,
IPCC, etc.
Output 3. Technical studies performed on various issues and reports prepared according to
established guidelines
The aim of this output is to collect baseline data and collate relevant information to assist with the
examination and assessment of various scenarios and policy options in accordance with the standard
guidance given by the UNFCCC CoP decision 10/CP.2. These reports will constitute the backbone of
the National Communication. For each study, a group of specialists lead by a Team Leader will collect
the necessary information, conduct the analysis and propose actions. Reports will be presented in
national workshops in order to enrich discussions. Where necessary, the Government may request the
technical inputs and comments from/through subject experts of the GEF/UNDP Programme Support
Unit (PSU). The PSU will also make available to the national team technical guidelines, best practices
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and training material to facilitate the implementation of such activities. The following is a brief
description of activities related to this output.
Activity 3.1
GHG Inventory. Compile and finalize a national inventory of greenhouse gases for
both the energy and non-energy sectors using the latest IPCC guidelines and following the guidelines
adopted by the CoP. The atmospheric gases to be addressed in the study will include carbon dioxide
(CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Other greenhouse gases included in the IPCC
methodology will be addressed as seen appropriate.
Activity 3.2 GHG Inventory Workshop. Review and finalize the GHG inventory in a national
workshop and decide which elements are to be included in the National Communication. Activities
3.1 & 3.2 will complement and conclude the inventorization process that has been initiated and
financed by the Government through MEPA.
Activity 3.3. GHG Abatement Options. Organize and undertake an analysis of potential options to
abate the increase in greenhouse gas emissions and to enhance removals by sinks.
Activity 3.4 Vulnerability and Adaptation Studies. Review the potential impacts of climate
change on the following sectors and ecosystems: agriculture, water resources, forestry, and coastal
zones and sea level rise. Impact of climate change on human settlements in vulnerable areas of
coastal zones and islands will also be reviewed. Building on the results of the analysis of potential
impacts of climate change in the country (vulnerability assessment), organize and undertake an
analysis of potential options to adapt to climate change with respect to the specific geographical and
climatic characteristics of Saudi Arabia.
Activity 3.5 Integration of climate change issues in long-term planning. The implementation of this
project enabling activity will occur in the same time frame as the preparations for the national 8th
development plan, providing a unique opportunity to integrate climate change issues in the medium and
long-term development planning of the Kingdom. The project will support preparation and presentation
of technical papers on the relationship between climate change and sustainable development through a
series of focus groups, seminars and workshops in partnership with the Ministry of Planning.
Activity 3.6 Action Plan. Based on the above, prepare and finalize a national program or action plan
to respond to climate change, including measures to facilitate adaptation to climate change, as well
as measures to abate the increase in greenhouse gas emissions and to enhance removals by sinks.
Output 4.
Consultations, Workshops and Seminars Conducted
The project will finance national workshops and seminars intended to share information, reach national
consensus, and raise awareness. For every report it is expected that the responsible team will hold
several seminars and workshops to discuss the content. Teams will assemble into larger workshops to
ensure overall coherent information and policy options.
There will be at least two national workshops to discuss the final National Communication toward the
end of the project. One will be devoted to the preparation and finalization of a national program or
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action plan to respond to climate change, including measures to facilitate adaptation to climate
change, as well as measures to abate the increase in greenhouse gas emissions and to enhance
removals by sinks.
Output 5.
Capacity building through Regional and International Experience exchange
International experience will be acquired through linking national experts with international climate
change initiatives, including similar enabling activities projects through the GEF/UNDP/UNEP. Select
Saudi experts will be sent to specialized meetings, regional workshops and courses that are arranged to
support national reporting exercises
Output 6.
The First National Communication Report produced
The report will be produced in English and Arabic and will be professionally edited with figures and
illustrations. An adequate number of this report will be reproduced to be available for dissemination to
CoP, and will also be posted on the Internet. As stated above, the report will be discussed in two
national workshops.
4. Rationale for GEF support
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a signatory to UNFCCC. As a Non-Annex I country, Saudi Arabia is
eligible for GEF financing to prepare its National Communication according to the guidance of CoP2.
Further, the Government has given climate change issues high priority as evident from its presence in
almost all global negotiation tables. The process of preparation of its National Communication has
begun sometime ago, and has been funded by national resources. However, its conclusion has not yet
materialized because of the lack of regular financial resources to support such activity and limited
adoption of project/programme approach to achieve results. GEF support within the framework of
UNDP technical cooperation project with the Government of Saudi Arabia is expected to speed up the
process and to enhance the technical aspects of the report through learning from, and interaction with,
other GEF enabling activities projects around the world.
5. Sustainability and participation
The GEF resources will be instrumental in catalyzing broad participation and in triggering debate at the
institutional and professional levels which will lead to greater interest in looking at the challenges and
opportunities arising from the climate change global trends especially in the major economic sectors of
the country: energy, industry and agriculture. It will also trigger innovative ways of thinking and
research into balancing GHG sources and sinks, etc. This will lead to sustained interactions at the
national and international levels after the GEF project conclusion.
The Government of Saudi Arabia is fully committed to implementing the UNFCCC, and hence the
goals and objectives of this project. The strengthening of scientific, technical and institutional capacity
of Saudi Arabia in the proposed activities, as well as the leading role taken by the MEPA to execute the
project, would enable Saudi Arabia to fulfill obligations to the UNFCCC. The project management
structure is designed to secure full participation of local experts in all aspects of activities to achieve
sustainability.
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6. Project budget proposal
The total project cost is US $350,000 over two years period. It will be used to finance the activities
described in this proposal, report preparations by national professionals, to complete GHG inventories,
conducting national workshops/seminars and promoting electronic networking. It must be noted that
costs of professional services, costs related to conducting workshops, seminars and translations are high
compared to other countries in the region. To give an indication, remunerations under the UNDP
standard local salary scale for national professionals almost match that of international experts. On
average, daily fees for national consultant is equivalent to US $400. A detailed project budget for
expedited processing of the proposal is presented as Annex II.
7. Issues, actions and risks
The project is a catalytic initiative intended to ensure accelerated reporting to the UNFCCC. The
project will ensure broader participation at the national level and experience sharing at the international
one. There are no substantial risks to be cited here. The institutional framework has been defined and
commitment to the convention’s obligations is evident. Further, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been
very active in all meetings of the CoP and its relevant subsidiary bodies and expert groups.
8. Institutional framework and project implementation
Climate change issues are diverse and multi-sectoral. At the highest policy level, the Government of
Saudi Arabia has established the Ministerial Environment Committee (MEC) headed by the HRH the
Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense, Aviation and Inspector General. The President of
Metrological and Environmental Protection Administration (MEPA) serves as the Secretary General of
the Committee. At the national level, the Negotiation Team is in charge of coordination of Saudi efforts
and negotiations in all matters related to the UNFCCC. The Team is headed by the Ministry of
Petroleum and Mineral Resources with memberships from key ministries and institutions. MEPA
serves as the coordinating agency at the operational level and overall responsible for the production of
required technical studies and reports which relates to Saudi obligations or necessary for positioning
Saudi Arabian view point in the international negotiations table and global debate at the CoPs and its
subsidiary bodies.
Therefore, MEPA is in need of support to deliver all these functions. The project will be executed by
MEPA through the Pollution Control Department. A National Project Coordinator will be appointed by
MEPA to be responsible for the daily management of the project activities. The existing National
Climate Change Team (NCCT) will serve as the Project Steering Committee (PSC) and is represented
by the following key institutions:




Meteorology and Environmental Protection Administration (MEPA);
Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR);
King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST); and,
Ministry of Agriculture and Water.
The list is preliminary and is expected to expand once the project commenced.
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The technical input and outputs will be reviewed and overseen by the national climate change team and
its all specialized sub-committees (groups), as appropriate, during their regular meetings which will be
supported by the project. The preparation of sectoral and specialized baseline reports such as
adaptability will be conducted by national experts. The environmental focal point in UNDP Riyadh will
support the project management in facilitating access and interaction with the GEF Programme Support
Unit and other enabling activities project managed by UNDP.
Through this project Saudi will benefit from training and experience sharing opportunities arising from
collaboration with other GEF enabling activities projects. It is important that Saudi participation is
ensured in regional and international activities for the unique experience that Saudi may present at such
fora.
9. Monitoring and evaluation
The project will be executed by MEPA. The project M&E Plan will be elaborated in the detailed
project UNDP document according to GEF and UNDP requirements. Achievement will be measured
against progress indicators specified in such plan. In addition, the project will be subject to regular
monitoring and evaluation activities in accordance with the GEF and UNDP operational guidelines in
this respect. Annual auditing of the project accounts will be done by a government-recognized auditor.
UNDP Riyadh will be in charge of providing support and monitoring to the project on continuous basis.
As this project is less than US $1.0 M, in-depth evaluation is not required. However, the project
management will prepare at the end of each year Annual Project Report to be submitted and discussed
at the Tripartite Meeting to be held at least twice during the project lifetime.
UNDP will provide its monitoring and evaluation guidelines and assessment procedures, which will be
used to evaluate project progress at mid-term and upon completion. The project will rely on common
UNDP monitoring and evaluation practices.
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ANNEX I
COVERAGE OF THE ACTIVITIES IN SAUDI ARABIA TO PREPARE
THE INITIAL NATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Information to be included in
The National Communication
Enabling activity needed to
Produce the information
Type of Activity
1. National circumstances
Compilation of the information from
existing sources
X
NA
NA
NA
2. Greenhouse gas inventory (incl. CO2,
CH4 and N2O) for:
- all energy sources
- industrial processes
- agricultural processes
- land use change & forestry
- other sources
Finalization of an inventory Of GHG
emissions from:
- all energy sources
- agricultural processes
- land use change & forestry
- other sources
X
X
X
X
(a) programs related to sustainable
development, research, public awareness,
etc.;
(b) policy options for monitoring systems
and response strategies for impacts;
An assessment of potential impacts of X
climate change in the country
X
X
X
An analysis of potential options to
X
adapt to the impacts of climate change.
X
X
X
c) policy frameworks for implementing
adaptation measures and response
strategies;
d) building capacity to integrate
CC concerns into planning;
e) programs to address climate change and
its adverse impacts, including the
abatement of increase in GHG emissions
and enhancement of sinks
4. Other information including, as
appropriate:
a) Financial and technological needs and
constraints associated with the
implementation of the Convention under
articles 4 and 12.
b) projects for financing
c) material relevant for calculation of
global emission trends
An analysis of potential options to
abate the increase in GHG emissions
and enhance the sinks.
X
X
X
X
Formulation of programs and policy
frameworks for implementing the
identified response measures.
X
X
X
NA
X
X
X
X
5. Compilation and production of the
initial National Communication
Preparation, translation (as
appropriate), and publication of the
National Communication
X
NA
NA
NA
Capacity Building
Planning &
Data
InstiEducation
Execution
Gathering tutional Training
3. General description of steps
Based on the results of the studies
compilation and preparation of the
additional information that the country
wants to present in its national
communication (such as socioeconomic scenario)
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ANNEX II
BUDGET FOR EXPEDITED PROCESSING OF THE ENABLING ACTIVITY PROPOSAL FOR PREPARING
THE INITIAL NATIONAL COMMUNICATION OF SAUDI ARABIA
Information to be included into the national Enabling activity to produce the
communication
information needed
Type of Activity
Planning and
Execution
Total Costs
In US $
Capacity Building
Data
Gathering &
Research
Inst.
Capacity
Training and
Education
1. National circumstances
Compilation of the information from
existing sources
5,000
NA
NA
NA
5,000
2. Greenhouse gas inventory
Finalization of an inventory of GHG
emissions (partial since some work
already done)
10,000
15,000
25,000
10,000
60,000
3. General description of steps
(a) programs related to sustainable
development, research, public
awareness, etc.;
(b) policy options for monitoring systems and
response strategies for impacts;
c) policy frameworks for implementing
adaptation measures and response strategies;
d) building capacity to integrate climate
change concerns into planning;
e) programs to address climate change and its
adverse impacts, including the abatement of
increase in GHG emissions and enhancement
of sinks
An analysis of potential options to
abate the increase in GHG emissions
and enhance sinks.
5,000
15,000
10,000
10,000
40,000
An assessment of potential impacts of
climate change in the country
(vulnerability assessment)
5,000
5,000
10,000
50,000
An analysis of potential options to
adapt to the impacts of climate change
(adaptation studies)
5,000
30,000
5,000
10,000
50,000
Formulation of programs and policy
frameworks for implementing the
identified response measures.
5,000
5,000
10,000
4. Other information:
a) Financial and technological needs and
Integration of CC into development
constraints associated with the implementation planning, financial and technological
of the Convention under art. 4 and 12
needs and constraints
b) projects for financing
c) material relevant for calculation of global
emission trends
2,000
25,000
5,000
5,000
37,000
15,000
NA
NA
NA
15,000
Project management
40,000
NA
NA
NA
40,000
Monitoring/Evaluation
15,000
NA
NA
NA
15,000
120,000
60,000
45,000
350,000
5. Compilation and production of national
communication
Preparation, translation (as
appropriate), and publication of the
national Communication.
Contingencies
18,000
GRAND TOTAL
125,000
12
30,000
20,000
18,000
Government Contribution
The Government has already invested resources in attempting to prepare the national report. The
GHG Inventory from industrial sources has been almost prepared but needs further refinement.
Large gaps still exist in GHG sinks, policy options, impact and mitigation. Within the framework
of this project, MEPA will provide all necessary logistical support to ensure smooth operations.
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