New York, US–Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are looking to collaborate in order to speed up the sustainable development goals, aligning them with government programs under the 2030 Agenda.
In this connection, discussion took place at a joint meeting between Amna bint Ahmed Al Romaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Minister of Sustainable Development, Dr. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa undersecretary of the ministry of foreign affairs for political affairs, and Faisal bin Fadel Al Ibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This came on the sidelines of their participation at the United Nations High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2023, to present their countries’ Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the progress made towards achieving the SDGs and accelerating the realization of the 2030 Agenda.
The ministers discussed the innovative practices adopted by the two countries for achieving sustainable development and deepening their expertise and knowledge on enshrining the 2030 Agenda into the governmental strategies and programs.
Al Romaihi stressed that Bahrain has a clear vision for the future of sustainable development in the country and is turning this vision in to reality within the housing sector, as it continues to develop and invest in sustainable urban housing towns and communities, in line with SDG 11.
Meanwhile, Alkhulaif emphasized the government’s commitment to strengthen regional and international partnerships to support addressing local and global sustainable development challenges.
Through constructive partnerships, knowledge sharing and exchanging expertise, an optimal pathway for achieving sustainability goals can be realized, she said.
For his part, Al Ibrahim lauded efforts exerted by Bahrain for the full attainment of the SDGs and shared the best practices and innovative work models developed by the Saudi Government in this endeavor.
He also encouraged collaboration between the two countries on the exchange of knowledge and expertise in sustainable development.