Introduction
What is the future of Saudi Arabia without oil and what is the way forward? That is the question concerning analysts and business writers after the recent announcement by Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that the country is planning to move away from oil dependency by the year 2020 . Critics have argued that it will be a challenging one citing that the country was transformed by oil . While there are great concerns on this moves’ impact on the economy, there will be great positive outcomes on the environment, the positive impact this decision will have in the fight against climate change as well as the role this transformation will play in ensuring sustainable development. This paper will then determine the environmental impacts of this decision while identifying general community and stakeholder engagement in environmental issues in Saudi Arabia.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as we it now, was founded in the year 1932. The oil rich country possesses a quarter of the world's oil reserves and is the largest crude oil exporter . This country's geographical location and climate make it vulnerable to harsh weather conditions . This means that in the face of climate change, the country will get hotter affecting the country's agricultural sector as well as the limited water sources. Continued plans of using oil would have meant consistency in the pattern of emitting greenhouse gases while exhausting natural resources and degrading the environment
Saudi Arabia has signed several international agreements on protecting the environment, including the Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes and Ozone Layer Protection
