This side event was co-hosted by the Government of Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Panelists discussed the importance of restoring degraded land and investing in forestry initiatives, which also contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation and the conservation of biological diversity. Panelists from Saudi Arabia, the host of UNCCD COP 16 in December 2024, discussed their experiences supporting sustainable land restoration efforts nationally, regionally and internationally through the Saudi Green Initiative, the Middle East Green Initiative and the G20 Global Land Initiative.