NEW YORK: The Madinah Region Development Authority took part in the “Quality of Life Initiative to Accelerate the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals”, an event organized by the Quality of Life Program — one of the initiatives under Saudi Vision 2030 — and the UN Human Settlements Program. The event was held on the sidelines of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at UN headquarters in New York from July 8 to 18. Participants included Nava Guerrero, the mayor of Queretaro, Mexico, and Abdulrahman bin Hassan Ibrahim, executive director of data and innovation at the MDRA. He drew attention to Madinah’s efforts in localizing sustainable development goals and its selection as one of the first five cities in the global Quality of Life Index initiative. He also highlighted Saudi authorities’ efforts to localize sustainable development goals. Madinah achieved the gold level in the SDG Cities program, awarded by UN-Habitat. This makes Madinah the first Saudi city, the first in the Arab world, and the third globally to receive this recognition. UN-Habitat is a program that works for a better urban future by contributing to the development of socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements and ensuring adequate shelter for all.