Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Abdulrahman al-Fadhli, approved the expansion plan in the plant resources sector and greenhouses with new investments valued at $1.06 billion until 2025.
The plan is done in cooperation with the relevant authorities and private sector companies, which aim to raise production capacity by encouraging the usage of the latest technologies in the agriculture sector.
Fadhli, the chairman of the board of directors of the Agricultural Development Fund, confirmed that the approved plan from 2023 to 2025 would contribute to additional productivity estimated at 430,000 tons, bringing the total production capacity of the greenhouses to more than 1 million tons annually.
He said that it aims to achieve national food security, increase the local content's contribution, and offer job opportunities following the goals of Vision 2030.
The minister explained that the expansion plan extends the unlimited support that the agricultural sector enjoys from the Saudi government.
He added that the Fund's loan value to the productive sectors during 2022 exceeded about $1.3 billion.
The plan comes from the ministry's keenness to raise the efficiency of this vital sector and to work towards its development and sustainability, as it is an essential pillar of food security in Saudi Arabia.
Notably, preparations for the expansion plan in greenhouses with the latest technologies have started earlier, as this type of cultivation in Saudi Arabia has been used for over 30 years.
Greenhouses are also considered a key factor for the success of specialized agricultural production, such as organic farming, protecting from different climatic conditions and their effects.
The results of the studies and research conducted by the ministry have revealed that using the latest technologies in the agriculture sector and greenhouses has contributed to saving irrigation water by up to 60 percent.
