Saudi Arabia has already begun to implement sustainable tourism for its role in preserving the climate and is moving from the planning stage to implementation, said Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb.

Al-Khateeb was speaking in a discussion session entitled "Sustainable Tourism - Protecting Treasures of Nature" on the first day of the Saudi Green Initiative Forum on the sidelines of the COP27 Climate Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The session dealt with the importance of harnessing the power of tourism for nature from a developmental and operational perspective, reviewing the lessons learned so far, with the Red Sea project approaching the opening of its first hotels, the operational effects of ecotourism and what solutions are chosen from the perspective of the government and private sector.

Al-Khateeb noted that many countries announced that their goal is to reach zero emissions by 2030, explaining that the Kingdom has set well-thought-out and consistent plans to reach the goal.