Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 2022 – The King Abdullah Financial District Development and Management Company (KAFD DMC) today announced that it has signed a Letter of Understanding with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) aimed at enhancing engagement with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Agenda’s targets, which were agreed upon by UN member states in 2015 and rely on robust local and global partnerships, address an array of issues, including poverty, hunger, health and well-being, education, sustainable energy, inclusive economic growth, infrastructure, equality, climate action, environmental matters, and peace and justice.

The partnership underscores both the Kingdom’s role in achieving the 2030 Agenda targets, as well as KAFD DMC’s role as a driver of Saudi’s Vision 2030, which shares many of the same goals as the Agenda. Under the terms of the agreement, KAFD DMC and UNCT will work together to build long-term, sustainable partnerships among key Saudi stakeholders for the achievement of local and global development goals and promote the alignment of global sustainable development priorities, international days and identified national priority areas.

KAFD DMC owns and manages the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), the largest mixed-use development in the region and Saudi Arabia’s new financial capital. Strategically located in the heart of Riyadh, KAFD is home to 1.6 million square meters of state-of-the-art office space, world-class venues and iconic luxury residences and is the largest LEED-certified mixed-use financial district in the world. A landmark development, KAFD is a cornerstone initiative of Vision 2030.

Gautam Sashittal, CEO of KAFD DMC, said, “It is a tremendous honor to embark on this journey with UNCT and support them in their important work. We see it as a sign of the international community’s confidence in KAFD as a pillar of the Kingdom’s contribution to local and global development goals, and we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”

Altayeb Adam from UNCT added, “KAFD, situated at the crossroads of the world, is uniquely positioned to facilitate connections to key Saudi stakeholders and serve as a bridge between Saudi Arabia and the global development community. Together, we will work together to support the 2030 Agenda and celebrations of international days, and in doing so, create a model for building sustainable partnerships that support both local and international development goals.”

The UNCT, led by the United Nations Resident Coordinator and supported by the United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator, seeks to ensure effective coordination and cooperation across the mandates of all 22 UN agencies’ funds and specialized programs operating in the Kingdom.