A historic achievement in agricultural production in Saudi Arabia
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved an exceptional accomplishment in the food security sector, as the Kingdom's total production of agricultural and food commodities exceeded 16 million tons during 2024. This success comes as a culmination of the Kingdom's efforts in building an integrated development model for food security, based on a careful balance between enhancing local production and managing imports with high efficiency, which has contributed to providing agricultural crops in local markets and protecting them from the fluctuations of emerging global crises.
Historical context and the shift towards sustainable agriculture
Historically, Saudi Arabia has faced significant challenges in its agricultural sector due to its desert environment and scarcity of renewable water resources. In past decades, agriculture relied heavily on groundwater depletion. However, the launch of Saudi Vision 2030 marked a radical turning point. The government adopted modern strategies focused on environmental sustainability, leading to a reduction in the cultivation of water-intensive crops and a shift towards smart farming technologies and greenhouses. This transformation has not only conserved natural resources but has also enhanced the quality of Saudi agricultural production, enabling it to compete globally.
Two-track strategy for achieving food security
The Ministry's official spokesperson, Saleh bin Dakhil, explained that the Saudi development model is based on two parallel tracks to ensure sustainability and operational efficiency. The first track focuses on developing domestic agricultural production according to the comparative advantages of each region, with a firm commitment to not depleting water resources. The second track relies on smart import management to diversify supply sources and enhance Saudi agricultural investments abroad to ensure the stable availability of goods that are difficult to produce locally.
Economic impact and government support
The agricultural sector has recorded consistent growth, exceeding a compound annual growth rate of 7 percent over the past five years, raising its contribution to GDP to approximately $31.5 billion. This reflects its economic resilience and its role in diversifying income sources away from oil revenues. This growth coincided with major technological advancements; modern irrigation systems have contributed to a 52 percent reduction in the consumption of non-renewable water compared to 2016. To support this strategic direction, the government has provided more than $1.9 billion in subsidized agricultural loans to support local farmers and producers.
A surge in self-sufficiency and export rates
In terms of figures, the Kingdom achieved exceptional self-sufficiency rates, reaching 131 percent for dairy products, 121 percent for dates, and 103 percent for table eggs. Saudi date exports also jumped by 14.3 percent in 2024, exceeding a value of 1.9 billion riyals, with production surpassing 1.9 million tons. In the vegetable sector, total production exceeded 3.5 million tons, achieving a self-sufficiency rate of 78 percent. Eggplant reached 105 percent, okra 102 percent, and cucumbers 101 percent. Fruit production exceeded 2.9 million tons, achieving a self-sufficiency rate of 64 percent.
Animal Products Sector and Future Vision
Shrimp led the animal products sector with a self-sufficiency rate of 149 percent, followed by poultry at 72 percent, red meat at 62 percent, and fish at 52 percent. To ensure the sustainability of these gains and protect them from any external shocks, the Ministry launched an advanced early warning system that monitors supply chains and predicts risks to maintain safe levels of strategic reserves. The Ministry continues to empower the sector by facilitating land leasing, simplifying licensing procedures, and providing technical and financial support, thereby solidifying Saudi Arabia's position as a leading regional power in achieving sustainable food security in line with the goals of Vision 2030.
