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Saudi Arabia Unveils High Levels of Food Self-Sufficiency

People shop at a supermarket in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
People shop at a supermarket in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Unveils High Levels of Food Self-Sufficiency

People shop at a supermarket in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
People shop at a supermarket in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia announced on Monday that there are sufficient stocks of essential goods and food supplies to meet the market demand amid the coronavirus outbreak.

During a press conference, Dr. Abdullah Aba Al-Khail, spokesman for the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, said that all food production operations are continuing smoothly with sufficient strategic storage of basic commodities.

“The Kingdom has achieved high levels of sufficiency in many agricultural products. These include 60 percent of self-sufficiency in poultry, with production of one million tons annually, 60 percent in vegetables, with local production of about 180,000 tons per month, 109 percent in milk and dairy products, which is more than 7.5 million liters per day, and 55 percent in seafood products,” Aba Al-Khail said.

The ministry is working to meet the market’s needs such as wheat and flour, he added. The Saudi Grains Organization has stocks of up to two million bags of grains ready for distribution upon request, in addition to the daily production of flour, amounting to 15,000 tons, which completely covers the need of the local market.

More than 1.2 million tons of imported wheat will arrive before the end of July, which will be added to the strategic stocks of over one million tons.

The Kingdom has achieved 30 percent self-sufficiency in regards to red meat and the ministry has expanded import options that have reached 29 countries to date, with an average of six million heads of livestock annually.

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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has made history by uniting the 193 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to adopt the Riyadh Treaty on Design Law. This landmark achievement, realized after two decades of deliberation, underscores the Kingdom’s leadership in enhancing the global intellectual property system.

The announcement came at the conclusion of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty, a rare event for WIPO, which has not held a diplomatic conference outside Geneva for more than a decade. It was also the first such event hosted in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, representing the final stage of negotiations to establish an agreement aimed at simplifying and standardizing design protection procedures across member states.

Over the past two weeks, intensive discussions and negotiations among member states culminated in the adoption of the Riyadh Treaty, which commits signatory nations to a unified set of requirements for registering designs, ensuring consistent and streamlined procedures worldwide. The agreement is expected to have a significant positive impact on designers, enabling them to protect their creations more effectively and uniformly across international markets.

At a press conference held on Friday to mark the event’s conclusion, CEO of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem highlighted the economic potential of the new protocol.

Responding to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Suwailem noted the substantial contributions of young Saudi men and women in creative design. He explained that the agreement will enable their designs to be formally protected, allowing them to enter markets as valuable, tradable assets.

He also emphasized the symbolic importance of naming the convention the Riyadh Treaty, stating that it reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing influence as a bridge between cultures and a global center for innovative initiatives.

The treaty lays critical legal foundations to support designers and drive innovation worldwide, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s vision of promoting international collaboration in the creative industries and underscoring its leadership in building a sustainable future for innovators.

The agreement also advances global efforts to enhance creativity, protect intellectual property, and stimulate innovation on a broader scale.

This achievement further strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for groundbreaking initiatives, demonstrating its commitment to nurturing creativity, safeguarding designers’ rights, and driving the development of creative industries on an international scale.

The Riyadh Diplomatic Conference, held from November 11 to 22, was hosted by the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and attracted high-ranking officials and decision-makers from WIPO member states.