Chile's ex-president Michelle Bachelet visits the country's green hydrogen production plant in Santiago on Aug. 10, 2023. (AFP)
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Climate change is not a ‘future problem.’ We’re witnessing changes now and they need to be addressed more urgently than ever.
February saw a record low in global sea ice. It was also the third-warmest February on record, with average global temperatures registering more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
As we witness rapid warming in the Arctic, we have no choice but to call for immediate collective action to develop innovative solutions to decarbonize our economies.
In this decisive moment, the emergence of green hydrogen as a viable clean energy source presents a unique opportunity for global climate action.
Green hydrogen is generated solely from renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, and when used as a fuel it only emits water vapor, emitting no greenhouse gases in its production or use.
According to the International Energy Agency, 60 governments have already adopted hydrogen strategies, signaling a global shift towards this technology. ֱ aims to become a top hydrogen supplier, reflecting its commitment to the Saudi Green Initiative.
The Kingdom is currently building the largest green hydrogen plant in the world, NEOM Green Hydrogen Company, contributing to the global fight against climate change.
NGHC is emerging as a significant contributor to job creation, technological innovation, and economic diversification in ֱ.
Wesam Alghamdi
It also reflects our goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions, particularly in hard-to-abate applications and sectors like heavy trucks and steelmaking.
One advantage is ֱ’s plentiful wind and sunshine to power our plant, which will produce up to 600 tons of carbon-free hydrogen daily and save the planet up to 5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. These efforts align with the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative to reduce emissions by 278 million tons annually by 2030.
However, climate change is not just about energy transformation and visible environmental changes. In this critical moment, NGHC is emerging as a significant contributor to job creation, technological innovation, and economic diversification in ֱ.
This aligns with the World Economic Forum’s prediction that the global transition to sustainable energy and climate-change adaptation will be “net job creators.”
We have a clear roadmap to attract top talent, foster a new generation of Saudi professionals, and open opportunities for women and young people in this advanced industry, as part of our goal of creating highly skilled jobs with a legacy.
Climate change is an undeniable reality and tackling this issue cannot be constrained by borders or generations. We must address it together. Global partnerships in research, development, and policymaking to accelerate green hydrogen adoption are therefore more important than ever.
Despite the scale of these challenges, I am confident that by working together to achieve mutually beneficial climate goals, green hydrogen can serve as the catalyst that guides the world into a sustainable future, and NGHC will serve as a blueprint for others to follow.
• Wesam Alghamdi is CEO of the NEOM Green Hydrogen Company.
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view
The decree means that Andry Rajoelina would not be able to contest future elections
Rajoelina was impeached on October 14 after fleeing the island nation following weeks of protests
Updated 8 min 51 sec ago
AFP
ANTANANARIVO: Madagascar’s new government has stripped ousted president Andry Rajoelina of his Malagasy nationality in a decree published Friday, media reports said, 10 days after he was removed in a military takeover.
The decree means that Rajoelina — who was impeached on October 14 after fleeing the island nation in the wake of weeks of protests — would not be able to contest future elections.
The decree published in the official gazette said Rajoelina’s Malagasy nationality was revoked because he had acquired French nationality in 2014, local media reported, as photographs of the document were shared online.
French broadcaster RFI said it had confirmed the decree with the entourage of the new prime minister, Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, who signed the order.
Protesters carry banners and a Madagascar flag as they march during a protest calling for constitutional reforms and the resignation of President Andry Rajoelina in Antsiranana on October 10, 2025. (AFP)
The decree cited laws stipulating that a Malagasy who voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality loses their Malagasy nationality.
Rajoelina’s French nationality caused a scandal when it was revealed ahead of the November 2023 elections, nearly 10 years after it was granted.
It triggered calls for him to be disqualified but he went on to win the contested polls, which were boycotted by opposition parties.
The 51-year-old politician fled Madagascar after army Col. Michael Randrianirina said on October 11 his CAPSAT unit would refuse orders to put down the youth-led protest movement, which security forces had attempted to suppress with violence.
Rajoelina said later he was in hiding for his safety, but did not say where.
Randrianirina was sworn in as president on October 14, pledging elections within two years.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ‘deeply disturbed’ by gambling arrests of Billups and Rozier
Updated 2 min 18 sec ago
AP
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in his first public comments since the arrests of Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier on gambling-related charges, said Friday night that he was stunned by the indictments that have rocked the league.
“My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed,” Silver said on Amazon Prime Video, during the streaming service’s first broadcast — Boston at New York. “There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting.”
Such was a sentiment shared by many around the league on Friday, one day after the indictments were unsealed and nearly three dozen people — most notably, Billups and Rozier — were arrested by federal officials.
Rozier was arrested because federal officials allege he conspired with associates to help them win bets based on his statistical performance. The charges are similar to what former Toronto player Jontay Porter faced before he was banned from the league by Silver in 2024.
Billups faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering for participating in what federal officials called Mafia-backed rigged poker games. He also matches the credentials of someone described only as Co-Conspirator 8 in an indictment detailing how some people gave bettors inside information on player health statuses.
The arrests have overshadowed the opening week around the league.
“I apologize to our fans that we are all dealing with this situation,” Silver said during the in-game interview.
The Rozier case has gone on since March 23, 2023. He was with the Charlotte Hornets at that time, and sportsbooks — legal ones — alerted the NBA to irregular patterns involving Rozier’s “prop bets” that day. Rozier went on to play about 9 1/2 minutes, and those who bet that he would underperform the listed stat lines won those wagers. Federal officials said more than $200,000 was bet on those lines alone.
The NBA investigated and found no reason to sanction Rozier, Silver said.
“We frankly couldn’t find anything,” Silver said. “Terry at the time cooperated. He gave the league office his phone. He sat down for an interview. And we ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence despite that aberrational behavior to move forward.
“He still hasn’t been convicted of anything, in fairness to Terry. Obviously, it doesn’t look good. But he’s now been put on administrative leave. There’s a balance here of protecting people’s rights and investigating.”
Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue calls Billups his best friend and said the news was difficult to take. He said he spoke with Billups on Thursday night and was encouraged by what he heard.
“To go through something like this, the allegations, his family, my goddaughters, it was a tough day,” Lue said. “You never want to see your friends go through anything like that.”
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers started in the NBA as a player more than 40 years ago. He’s seen plenty of good and bad. He thought he had heard it all. That is, until now.
“It’s really sad,” Rivers said Friday.
Along with Billups and Rozier, former NBA player Damon Jones now faces charges because officials said he tipped off bettors about the health status of two Los Angeles Lakers players. The details in that indictment clearly show that Jones was discussing the availability of LeBron James and former Lakers center Anthony Davis with bettors before their statuses for certain games was known publicly. There is no indication that James or Davis had any knowledge of what Jones was alleged to be doing.
“We see now what those things can turn into and how they can spread, just how valuable this information is,” Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It’s a difficult situation overall but once you introduce gambling that the sports world has now, there’s going to be some very dangerous situations out there for everybody — from a security standpoint, from this type of thing standpoint.”
All teams are required by the NBA to educate players, coaches and staff annually about what is allowed and not allowed when it comes to gambling. The Orlando Magic met recently about that very topic.
And then after the news Thursday, they met again.
“Yesterday was another reminder of what we have to do,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We had another conversation with the group. I think the more that is going on, the more we have to continue to talk to the group about what is happening.”
The league has at least 14 relationships with sportsbooks, including FanDuel and DraftKings. Some teams have their own deals as well. Silver has often spoken of how legal betting can be monitored and how unusual patterns can be flagged immediately, part of the reason why the league believes the integrity of games can be protected.
But some coaches and players still believe more can be done.
“The league, the game and the business of the league has evolved. And so we just have to be aware of how things evolve in this business, right?” San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said. “It’s very important for us to continue to just be educated and mindful of everything that has to do with our business. ... I believe in Adam Silver and the league, that they will do whatever is necessary to continue to grow the game in the right way.”
Another issue for players and coaches is how social media has given bettors ways to communicate with those inside the league. Those interactions, many have said, are not always friendly.
“The outside world, in my day, couldn’t get to us. They literally couldn’t get to us,” Rivers said Friday. “And now they can, with ease.”
US, China seek to avoid trade war escalation, salvage Trump-Xi meeting in Malaysia talks
US, Chinese officials to meet on sidelines of ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur
Updated 51 min 10 sec ago
Reuters
KUALA LUMPUR: Top economic officials from the US and China will face off in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday to try to avert an escalation of their trade war and ensure that a meeting happens next week between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The talks on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit will seek to find a way forward after Trump threatened new 100 percent tariffs on Chinese goods and other trade curbs starting on November 1, in retaliation for China’s vastly expanded export controls on rare earth magnets and minerals.
The recent actions, which also include an expanded US export blacklist that covers thousands more Chinese firms, have disrupted a delicate trade truce crafted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng over four previous meetings since May.
The three officials on Saturday will try to pave the way for Trump and Xi to meet next Thursday at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea, a high-stakes conversation that could revolve around some interim relief on tariffs, technology controls and Chinese purchases of US soybeans.
First, He, Bessent and Greer must find a way to mitigate their dispute over China’s rare earths controls and US technology export curbs, said Josh Lipsky, international economics chair at the Atlantic Council in Washington.
“The meeting can’t happen without an agreement that they can return to this intermediate ceasefire that we’ve had over the summer,” Lipsky said, adding that the US wants to reverse and end China’s new rare earths controls.
“I’m not sure the Chinese can agree to that. It’s the primary leverage that they have,” Lipsky said.
The Malaysian government and the US and Chinese sides have provided very few details about the Kuala Lumpur meeting or any plans to brief the media about outcomes. The meeting’s venue was not confirmed until Chinese officials began arriving at the Merdeka 118 tower, the second-tallest building in the world.
Some of those announcements may fall to Trump, who is due to arrive in the Malaysian capital on Sunday.
“We won’t know if Beijing has successfully counterbalanced the US’s export controls with restrictions of their own or if they’ve induced a continuation of an escalatory spiral until Trump and Xi meet,” said Scott Kennedy, a China economics expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
“If they make a deal, their gambit will have paid off. If there’s no deal, then everyone will need to prepare for things to get much nastier,” Kennedy said.
The world’s two largest economies are seeking to avoid a return of their tariff escalation to triple-digit levels on both sides that exploded in April when Trump imposed broad global tariffs. China also responded to Trump’s tariffs by cutting off rare earths supplies to US buyers.
Bessent and Greer’s first meeting with He in Geneva in May led to a 90-day truce, which brought down tariffs sharply to about 55 percent on the US side and 30 percent on the Chinese side and restarted the flow of magnets. The truce was extended in subsequent talks in London and Stockholm and was due to expire on November 10.
But the delicate truce frayed at the end of September, when the US Commerce Department vastly expanded a US export blacklist to automatically include firms more than 50 percent owned by companies already on the list, banning US exports to thousands more Chinese firms.
China struck back with the new global rare earth export controls on October 10, aiming to prevent their use in military systems by requiring export licenses for products using Chinese rare earths or rare earth refining, extraction or processing technology developed by Chinese firms.
Bessent and Greer blasted China’s move as a “global supply chain power grab” and vowed the US and its allies would not accept the restrictions. Reuters reported that the Trump administration is considering a plan to up the ante with curbs on a dizzying array of software-powered exports to China, from laptops to jet engines, according to sources familiar with the deliberations.
The Trump administration added to the tension on Friday by announcing a new tariff probe into China’s “apparent failure” to meet the terms of the 2020 US-China “Phase One” trade agreement that halted their trade war during Trump’s first term.
The move could create an additional legal authority for Trump to further increase tariffs on Chinese imports. China committed to major increases in purchases of US farm products, manufactured goods, energy and services in the 2020 deal, but the targets were never met.
That also could lead the US side to press Beijing to resume buying American soybeans after China bought none in September, heaping economic pain on farmers, a key Trump political constituency.
Early voting begins in NY mayoral race dominated by Trump foe
Mamdani had 47 percent support, independent Cuomo had 29, and Republican Curtis Sliwa had 16 percent
Early voting allows New Yorkers to cast a ballot from Saturday until Nov. 2, and the winner taking office in the New Year
Updated 25 October 2025
AFP
NEW YORK: Early voting for New York’s next mayor begins Saturday with an outsider Democratic Party candidate the favorite to upend the city’s politics and face down President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attacked him.
The twisting race has seen state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani, a self-described socialist, surge from the political wilderness to become the frontrunner in a campaign in which the current mayor bowed out and the onetime Democratic favorite lost his own primary.
The 34-year-old Mamdani’s once unlikely campaign has been turbo-charged by eager campaigning by young New Yorkers in particular.
An emphasis on the soaring cost of living has also resonated, with the Queens-based lawmaker promising to freeze rent for two million New Yorkers in rent-stabilized properties.
In the latest twist, scandal-tainted current mayor Eric Adams backed the second-place candidate, 67-year-old former state governor Andrew Cuomo — after previously calling him a “snake and a liar.”
Early voting allows New Yorkers to cast a ballot from Saturday until November 2, with Election Day on November 4 and the winner taking office in the New Year.
Mamdani had 47 percent support and led Cuomo by 18 points in the latest citywide poll, conducted by Victory Insights between October 22 and 23. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, 71, was at 16 percent.
Adams, who has been mired in corruption allegations linked to his term in office, dropped out of the race on September 28 but did not initially endorse a rival.
“You can’t freeze rent, but you are lying and telling people you could — we’re fighting against a snake oil salesman,” Adams said Thursday with Cuomo at his side.
“Gentrifiers have raised the rent in the city... and (Mamdani’s) the king of the gentrifiers.”
It is unclear what impact Adams’s endorsement will have on the race.
“It is possible, but extremely unlikely, Cuomo can catch Mamdani,” said Lincoln Mitchell, a political science professor at Columbia University, saying the former governor’s “tough guy persona” dates from another era.
‘Affordability crisis’
The race has been dominated by the issue of cost of living, as well as by how each candidate would handle Trump, who has threatened to withhold federal funds from the city where he made his name as a property developer and reality TV star.
Trump has branded Mamdani, who wants to make bus travel and childcare in the city of 8.5 million people free, a “communist.”
“I was always very generous with New York, even when you had opposition there,” Trump said this month.
“I wouldn’t be generous to a communist guy that’s going to take the money and throw it out the window.”
Mamdani has said he would cooperate with Trump if it brought down the cost of living in the city, while Sliwa has said he would seek to “negotiate” with the president and Cuomo has said he would “confront” the commander-in-chief.
“I’ve lived in New York for 10 years almost. I’ve always been... not necessarily always struggling, but trying to hustle and get things together,” Mamdani supporter and tenant organizer Lex Rountree, 27, told AFP.
“It feels strange to kind of think about what it would look like to have some of that ease” under Mamdani, Rountree added.
Mamdani’s campaign received a lift on Friday when Hakeem Jeffries, a New York lawmaker and the top Democrat in the US House of Representatives, endorsed him.
“Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,” the leading Democrat said.
Mamdani will bring star firepower to the table Sunday when he appears alongside leftist Senator Bernie Sanders and lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio Cortez at a “get out the vote” rally in Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.
How Neom Nature Reserve is shaping the Kingdom’s biodiversity and ecological restoration strategy
Neom has dedicated team of conservations on the project
‘Building legacy of environmental excellence for the future’
Updated 25 October 2025
Haifa Alshammari
RIYADH: In the Neom Nature Reserve a team of dedicated ֱ conservationists are steadily redefining the future of biodiversity and ecological restoration in the Kingdom.
These experts are safeguarding the area’s distinctive ecosystems and species while leading groundbreaking methods in one of the world’s most visionary environmental conservation initiatives.
Tariq Aljohany, a field restoration specialist at Neom, with experience in flora and fauna studies and familiarity with the local desert landscape, recently told Arab News about the work underway.
“I’m responsible for collecting seeds of native species across Neom. These seeds are then propagated at Neom’s Mneifa Plant Nursery, where we grow plants for active restoration efforts — reintroducing species that should be part of our landscape but have disappeared due to overgrazing and off-road driving.”
Tariq Aljohany is a field restoration specialist at NEOM with experience in flora and fauna studies and familiarity with the local desert landscape. (Supplied)
Aljohany has a deep connection to the desert and its biodiversity. “Since I was a child, my father would take me to visit these landscapes and teach me about their species and cultural value.
“Realizing that these landscapes and species were under threat made me determined to restore them to their former glory for future generations to enjoy,” he said.
Aljohany shared how he and colleagues rescued four Caralluma petraea plants before development began in Trojena.
“We brought them to the Mneifa Plant Nursery and propagated them by cuttings and seed. Now, we have a healthy population of nearly 100 plants in ex-situ conservation, ready to restore populations in Trojena.”
Opinion
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The reserve serves as the foundation for Neom’s commitment to protect 95 percent of its area for nature.
Under a larger initiative to restore 1.5 million hectares of habitat and revitalize vital wildlife populations, the reserve aims to plant 100 million native trees, shrubs, and grasses to rejuvenate the natural environment.
The reserve also plans to restore the populations of the Arabian oryx, and mountain and sand gazelles.
In the middle of this year, Neom reintroduced over 1,100 animals across six species to its reserve, a significant milestone in its mission to secure a balanced ecosystem.
In the middle of this year, Neom reintroduced over 1,100 animals across six species to its Nature Reserve, a significant milestone in its mission to secure a balanced ecosystem. (Supplied)
Bushra Alabdulhafith, a wildlife conservation science lead at Neom, told Arab News how she was inspired to take up this work.
“Some of my fondest childhood memories are of racing up great sand dunes, visiting wadis during the rainy season, or camping with my family in winter.
“Being in nature brought me peace and a sense of belonging, which fueled my goal to actively protect it,” she said.
Bushra Alabdulhafit and her team also monitor existing wildlife in Neom by setting up camera traps to understand current biodiversity. (Supplied)
“Every animal released, every tree planted, every small change that positively impacts the environment around us has strengthened my inspiration and commitment to this path.”
In her work, Alabdulhafith supports the Rewilding Program’s animal releases and monitoring, including the Arabian oryx, sand gazelles, mountain gazelles, Nubian ibex, and red-neck ostriches.
“I also monitor existing wildlife in Neom through our Long-Term Monitoring Program, setting up camera traps to understand current biodiversity, including Arabian wolves, red foxes, and striped hyenas, and inform future conservation planning,” she said.
In the middle of this year, Neom reintroduced over 1,100 animals across six species to its Nature Reserve, a significant milestone in its mission to secure a balanced ecosystem.
Alabdulhafith recounted how excited she was leading Neom’s first raptor-release program.
“Thanks to our partners at the Saudi Falcon Club, the Hadad Program began at the end of 2024 and continues today. We have released Barbary falcons, monitored them, and successfully recorded baby Barbary chicks hatching.”
“This is just the beginning of our work with raptors, and we aim to expand our conservation efforts to other great birds of prey,” she said.
Neom is recognized as an essential sanctuary not only for its terrestrial biodiversity but also marine megafauna, providing refuge in the Red Sea for species including dolphins, turtles, and dugongs.
Neom is recognized as an essential sanctuary not only for its terrestrial biodiversity but also marine megafauna. (Supplied)
Last year, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology announced a collaboration with NEOM, through the KAUST Beacon Development environmental consultancy, to enhance research and protection efforts for these distinctive species.
Environmentalists and researchers are using artificial intelligence to analyze extensive drone footage of key megafauna habitats.
This technology allows more precise and effective conservation strategies for Neom’s remarkable marine life, including humpback dolphins, dugongs, green and hawksbill turtles, sharks, and rays.
DID YOU KNOW?
• NEOM Nature Reserve aims to plant 100 million native trees, shrubs, and grasses to rejuvenate the Kingdom’s natural environment.
• The reserve serves as the foundation for Neom’s commitment to protect 95 percent of its area for nature.
• The world’s most extensive coral garden is within Neom, a collaboration with KAUST.
Mishari Alghurair, a marine species conservation manager at Neom, with experience of over a decade, leads a cross-functional team focusing on protecting key species.
The team’s initiatives include satellite tracking of turtles and seabirds, development of conservation plans for marine mammals, and the creation of artificial nesting habitats.
“One of our most exciting breakthroughs has been the successful implementation of artificial nesting platforms for sooty falcons and ospreys on the Neom islands
Mishari Alghurair, a marine species conservation manager at Neom, with his team. (Supplied)
“These structures have provided safe breeding sites, leading to increased nesting success rates and population growth where natural habitats were under pressure,” he said.
Alghurair has fond memories of family trips to the Red Sea coast which strengthened his love for the environment and taught him to appreciate the Kingdom’s rich land and seas.
“It’s about turning that personal pride into meaningful action — protecting species like the sooty falcon and sea turtles and pushing the boundaries of conservation through innovation and collaboration.
“It’s rewarding to be part of a movement that’s building a legacy of environmental excellence for future generations.”
