Announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in March of this year, the two initiatives have been praised by governments and international green agencies Summits will bring together heads of state, business leaders, environmentalists, academicians RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) and Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) events in Riyadh on Oct. 23-25, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) announced on Thursday. Announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in March, the two initiatives have been praised by governments and international green agencies. The SGI forum and the MGI summit will bring together in the Kingdom’s capital heads of state, public officials, business leaders, renowned environment experts and academicians, SPA said. The SGI and MGI are aiming to collectively plant 50 billion trees as well as propel the Middle East region toward achieving more than 10 percent of global carbon emissions reduction targets. The two events will reinforce the Kingdom’s commitment to making a sustainable impact in the face of climate change and will enhance its work to protect the environment and the planet at large, SPA said. They will reinforce Saudi Arabia’s leading role in preserving the planet and supporting the efforts of the international community in combating environmental challenges. The events reflect the Kingdom’s ambition to strengthen its regional and global role in overcoming even the most pressing environmental challenges, SPA said.