Saudi Arabia Attracts SAR 37 Billion In Private Investments For Sustainable Agriculture Initiatives

The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture has reported a notable increase in private sector investments within Saudi Arabia's agriculture and food industry. These investments have exceeded SAR37 billion, encompassing diverse projects such as crop production, livestock, fisheries, agricultural processing, manufacturing, and infrastructure development. All initiatives are aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.

Assistant Deputy Minister for Agriculture Dr. Sulaiman Al-Khateeb highlighted the importance of the private sector in advancing agriculture during a panel discussion titled "Vision 2030 and the National Food Strategy: Future Challenges." This event was part of the 41st Saudi Agricultural Exhibition held in Riyadh.

Dr. Al-Khateeb stressed that the private sector is vital for enhancing the agricultural sector. It supports the ministry's goals of achieving food security, economic growth, social development, and environmental sustainability. These aims align with the National Agriculture Strategy 2034.

The strategy focuses on sustaining natural resources, fostering innovation, preventing pests, boosting economic contributions, and nurturing a vibrant agricultural community. The investment projects cover plant production, livestock, fisheries, agricultural processing, manufacturing, and infrastructure development.

The ministry is also promoting investments in cold chain infrastructure to enhance the transportation of agricultural products. Additionally, it aims to establish marketing centers across the kingdom to support these efforts.

Assistant Deputy Minister Al-Khateeb stated: "To facilitate these investments and enhance sector efficiency, the ministry has introduced various incentives and enablers. These include supporting investment opportunities, promoting the adoption of modern agricultural technologies, providing agricultural loans through the Agricultural Development Fund, encouraging affordable land leases, streamlining licensing procedures for agricultural projects, and offering technical and advisory support to farmers."

This comprehensive approach aims to boost efficiency in the agriculture sector by providing necessary support and resources to investors and farmers alike.

With inputs from SPA