Al-Jouf Olive Festival Expands Farmers From Local To Global Competition In Olive Oil And Olives

The Al-Jouf International Olive Festival is strengthening competition in agricultural production within Saudi Arabia and abroad. Organisers aim to help farmers present high-quality olive oil and table olives, so these products can compete across regional and global markets. Awards offered at the festival also support consumer trust in Al-Jouf olive products, especially after strong results in previous editions.

The Al-Jouf Olive Festival also functions as a commercial platform, especially for small and medium farmers. The event provides organised booths for selling olive oil and table olive products directly to visitors. This arrangement links producers with investors and consumers, which supports wider market access and opens fresh sales channels within and beyond the Kingdom.

Past sessions of the Al-Jouf International Olive Festival have seen producers gain major prizes for best olive oil and best pickled olives. These recognitions show how the festival encourages producers to improve quality standards. Strong performances at the event highlight Al-Jouf as a key source of olive oil and table olives within Saudi Arabia’s agricultural sector.

Farmer Ghaleb Qablan Al-Sharari has taken part in every edition of the Al-Jouf Olive Festival, from the first through the nineteenth. Al-Sharari showcased products from a farm in the Basita agricultural area and has secured five awards for olive oil. These festival successes helped Al-Sharari enter competitions in France and gain wider international recognition.

Al-Sharari also received a medal in the extra virgin olive oil category at the Dubai International Olive Oil Competition, within the lowest-acidity class. According to Al-Sharari, the Al-Jouf International Olive Festival motivated farmers to reduce acidity levels in olive oil by improving harvesting schedules, pressing methods and handling while maintaining focus on preserving natural flavour and nutritional qualities.

These improvements start with regulated irrigation, pruning trees correctly and using careful hand-picking techniques. Harvested olives are then moved in containers that limit oxidisation, followed by cold pressing to protect quality. The oil is stored in galvanised steel tanks or metal containers. Through such methods, the Al-Jouf Olive Festival is helping local farmers raise standards and compete in wider markets.

With inputs from SPA