RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has managed to recycle more than 100,000 electronic devices so as to reduce their environmental damage and build a sustainable digital future that supports efficient use of resources. The Kingdom's collaborative efforts with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to develop e-waste management regulations in three countries stand out with the aim of turning major challenges into opportunities and helping these countries adopt the best sustainable solutions. A recent report, released by the Saudi Communications, Space and Technology Commission, highlighted the Kingdom's efforts to harness modern technologies and create innovative business models that contribute to building a sustainable future, which is in line with the digital sustainability strategy, such as enhancing circular digital economy initiatives, and developing regulations to reduce e-waste in three countries, in addition to shedding light to 13 success stories for more than 16 entities from the government and private sectors. At the COP 28 conference, the ITU and more than 40 partners, including governments, companies and United Nations agencies, launched the 'Green Digital Action' initiative to enhance digital initiatives. The commission led the efforts in the Digital Economy Track, one of the initiative's six tracks that demonstrate the importance of government-industry collaboration to bridge gaps in e-waste management for a renewable economy. The authority launched a set of tools to develop digital sustainability strategies in cooperation with the Digital Cooperation Organization, which includes five detailed steps to develop a strategic framework for digital sustainability that meets all needs, starting from raising awareness and achieving best practices to develop the strategy and coordinate it with relevant stakeholders, all the way to implementation. These tools demonstrate the Kingdom's commitment to contributing to the green economy and climate change and exchanging experiences with the international community to ensure the adoption of best practices to achieve sustainable societies. The report showed that $649 billion was spent on funds to support the adoption of environmental, social and corporate governance practices in 2021, an increase of 227 percent over 2019. Some telecommunications and technology companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange issue sustainability reports that explain the current status of companies, most notably STC, Mobily, Zain, Jahez, and Solution by STC. The report noted that the classification of the top three companies in the communications and technology sector in Saudi Arabia, according to the MSCI ESG Index, was won by STC, Mobily and Zain. The report also predicted that Saudi Arabia's continuous investments in its digital infrastructure over the past several years qualify the country to be a leader in digital sustainability commitments worldwide, and that the Communications, Space and Technology Commission is poised to become one of the most advanced 5G digital regulatory bodies internationally. The comprehensive digital infrastructure enhances leadership according to a vision and advanced regulatory framework, which helps the Kingdom's sectors develop innovations that contribute to environmental sustainability. The commission is also committed to contributing to achieving the United Nations' sustainable development goals through its regulatory practices. The Kingdom has made remarkable progress in adopting sustainability concepts and leading international action through the Saudi Green and Middle East Green initiatives to preserve the environment and shift to renewable energy. The communications, space and technology sector has contributed to many achievements in empowering women, promoting the use of renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions. The sector has also adopted practical solutions in digital sustainability to reduce the volume of electronic waste and carbon emissions, in addition to ensuring the achievement of diversity and inclusion targets at all levels, the report pointed out.
