The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is mostly an arid desert; less than 2% of its land area is arable. With such a climate, the Kingdom is forced to import around 80% of its agricultural needs. Both the Saudi government and private individuals have been devoting considerable financial resources to improve the state of Saudi agriculture, however. There is considerable work still to be done, but in several key areas, Saudi Arabia has made incredible progress.
Farming in an inhospitable environment
Saudi agriculture had traditionally been the work of small farming communities that mostly kept their produce for self-sufficiency, selling any excess to local towns or cities. The government of Saudi Arabia began to get involved in the agricultural sector aggressively beginning in the 1970s. This intervention included the building of rural roads and storage facilities to allow for faster and wider distribution of foodstuffs. Farmers adopted modern irrigation techniques and growing methods throughout the Kingdom. In 1978, the nation built its first grain silos. The goal of these efforts was to bring Saudi Arabia to a state of food self-sufficiency.
In the 1980s, the Saudi government put additional monetary resources into agriculture by offering large subsidies to farmers. This support was partially successful, but the agriculture industry still faced serious problems. The benefits accrued mostly to larger agricultural production sites owned by wealthy Saudis as well as foreigners. Small farmers struggled to survive. The other major problem was the use of the Kingdom’s precious water resources. The growth of agriculture increased the use of water from non-renewable sources, depleting already-small reserves of freshwater. Chemical fertilizers applied to crops caused environmental damage, and corruption took its toll on the entire sector.
Things began to change early in the new century with a reappraisal of the entire agricultural sector. A new plan, Vision 2030, made efficient water use and higher agricultural yields a government priority. The program also seeks to improve rural economies and modernize agricultural and food supply chains.
So far, the results have been impressive. Dairy farms have been a particular success, with Saudi cows producing 1,800 gallons of milk per year per cow, among the highest performing rates in the world. Cultivated land has more than quintupled since the lows of the 1970s. Today, Saudi Arabia produces enough wheat to be an exporter of this staple crop.
Looking to the future
The Saudi government’s Ministry of Agriculture and Water is the focal point for its agricultural improvement efforts. The ministry has continued to promote agricultural development, especially with regard to adopting new technologies. Diversifying crops and developing more effective and environmentally safe fertilizers have been among its key initiatives.
In addition, the Kingdom has put considerable effort into its fishing industry, and its aquaculture sector has grown tremendously as a result. Vision 2030 programs related to aquaculture and other food production will receive $35 billion in government investment. This sum illustrates the value the Saudi government places on improving and growing this important contributor to its food security.
Of course, water is the great limiting factor in Saudi agriculture, and a constant concern. There are no permanent rivers or lakes in the entire country, so groundwater is particularly important for agriculture and the Saudi economy as a whole. Government projects, beginning in the 1970s, have located and mapped underground aquifers and dug deep wells to access this precious freshwater.
In later years, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in desalinization, the process of extracting freshwater from sea water. Saudi Arabia has long coastlines, and the investment into desalinization has been a huge success, resulting in the Kingdom becoming the world’s largest producer of desalinated water. Water recycling has been another major positive. Water recycling plants have been erected in major urban areas, with the aim of recycling up to 40% of water from cities for agricultural and irrigation purposes.
Farming techniques on display
Saudi Arabia hosts a huge agricultural exhibition every year, called Saudi Agriculture. It is the largest such event in the entire Middle East and brings together industry professionals and business leaders to discuss the newest developments throughout the agri-business sector. Over 30 countries are represented at the exhibition, which is now in its 39th year.
Success despite the odds
Despite the limitations of its arid climate—or maybe because of it—the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is at the forefront of agricultural innovation. It has successfully used its oil wealth to find creative, efficient solutions to overcome its natural lack of water and build a productive agricultural industry. The Kingdom has even become a net exporter of major crops, including not only wheat, but also melons, grapes, citrus, onions, and tomatoes. There are many more challenges to overcome for Saudi Arabia to become totally self-sufficient in food, but the government has proven that it is willing to invest heavily in promising solutions. By embracing emerging technologies and investing in agricultural infrastructure, Saudi Arabia has emerged as a global leader in agricultural innovation.