With increasing oil and gas prices and an expanding non-oil sector, Saudi Arabia has been logging record trade surpluses in recent years, while securing government revenue for future investment. The Kingdom is expected to be among the fastest-growing economies in the G20 in 2022 – and was on track to fulfil that forecast by the middle of the year. Indeed, in the first three months of 2022 G
– Russia'sinvasion of Ukraine has intensified the risk of regional food insecurity – Many MENA countries source a significant share ofcerealimports from the region – In the GCC, government initiatives are seeking to bolster food self-sufficiency – North African agri-tech start-ups work to boostproductivity Nations in the MENA region have been intensifying…
With a population larger than the other five GCC countries combined, Saudi Arabia accounted for more than 50% of the region’s food imports prior to the pandemic, and 80% of food consumed in the Kingdom came from abroad. The Gulf region’s dependence on food imports made it vulnerable to the global supply chain disruptions that occurred during the pandemic, which contributed to spikes in food inflation…
The city of Medina plays an important role in the cultural and historical make-up of Saudi Arabia. It is the final resting place of the Prophet Muhammad and is home to the Prophet’s Mosque, which the Prophet helped build after his flight from Makkah in 622 AD. Today, the Prophet’s Mosque is one of the largest mosque in the world and is the second-holiest site in Islam after the Great Mosque…
On the wholesale food industry and boosting the contribution of non-oil-related products To what degree do advancements in water management, treatment and desalination benefit the agriculture sector? SEIFALLAH SHARBATLY: Saudi Arabia has a severe water problem. Despite efforts by both the public and private sector to meet growing demand for water, we barely have enough drinking water. The is especially…
Since its establishment in September 1932, the Kingdom has poured its considerable financial resources into a series of large-scale economic development, diversification and modernisation initiatives. Saudi Arabia has attracted international attention for the momentum of its socio-economic transformation, taking place under the auspices of the Vision 2030 development blueprint. Firming oil prices
Key initiatives include a privatisation programme which would see the divestment of a number of state-owned giants, such as the partial listing of Aramco, the creation of the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund and the increased participation of women in the job market. The Kingdom has played a key role too on the international stage in 2017, becoming the first country to host President Trump,
Based on metrics such as the number of scientific papers published in the field, Saudi Arabia is the largest agricultural research centre in the GCC and one of the largest in the Middle East. While the level of research and development (R&D) activity in the Kingdom is low by the standards of major international agricultural research powerhouses, it has been rising rapidly in recent years. Issues…
As the Kingdom prepares to phase out domestic wheat production, the authorities are planning to double the size of strategic reserves by 2016 in order to ensure the country’s food security. To achieve this, the government is currently investing in a major expansion of domestic grain storage capacity. The authorities have also decided to privatise some of the Kingdom’s storage silos, alongside…