Mewa Announces Seven New Queen Bee Breeding Stations To Enhance Beekeeping In Saudi Arabia By 2026

The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (MEWA) has announced plans to establish seven new queen bee breeding and nucleus colony production stations across Saudi Arabia. These will be located in Jazan, Aseer, Madinah, Makkah, Hail, Tabuk, and Najran. Construction is expected to finish this year, with operations beginning in 2026. These facilities will join existing ones in Abha, Al-Baha, Qassim, and Riyadh.

MEWA aims to preserve the local bee strain and reduce reliance on imports by establishing these stations. Currently, the Kingdom imports about 1.3 million nucleus colonies each year. The new projects will enhance the traits of local bees through various programs at the production stations.

The ministry plans to improve local bee strains through training programs for specialists in queen rearing and artificial insemination. They will also promote best practices in queen breeding. Additionally, guidance programs will disseminate advanced beekeeping techniques to reduce diseases and pests associated with imported bees.

Research and studies will focus on enhancing and conserving local bee strains. MEWA emphasised the importance of these projects in selecting and developing local strains through research efforts. The ministry also aims to offer these projects for investment via beekeepers’ cooperatives or the private sector.

MEWA is taking steps to support and market products from these stations. They plan to offer investment opportunities through cooperatives or private entities. This initiative aligns with World Bee Day on May 20, highlighting the need to raise knowledge among beekeepers to protect bee populations from diseases, pests, pesticides, and environmental factors.

The ministry has launched several initiatives to promote modern beekeeping methods that improve productivity and quality while ensuring economic returns. These efforts aim to preserve this vital resource and support those working in the sector.

Diverse Honey Production

Saudi Arabia's diverse vegetation provides a wide range of floral sources for honey production. This results in around 20 varieties of honey, including Sidr, Talh, and Samar as notable types. The number of licensed beekeepers in Saudi Arabia has reached 25,644.

These beekeepers produce 5,832 tons of honey from one million beehives across the Kingdom. MEWA's initiatives aim to further enhance this production by supporting modern techniques and improving professional standards among practitioners.

With inputs from SPA