Saudi Arabia provides taste of food to come at InFlavour expo

InFlavour, an international exhibition underway in the Kingdom’s capital, is showcasing a taste of things to come in terms of technical innovations in the food industry, much of which Saudi Arabia has already adopted as it develops its local production, says a government official.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, InFlavour is hosting renowned chefs and industry leaders, under the theme “Ensuring Abundant Tomorrows.” The event opened Sunday and will run until Oct. 31.

Dr. Suliman Al-Khateeb, assistant deputy for agriculture at the ministry, said that the event is being held to bring together “investors, the producers, the consumers, the retailers … to collaborate, to exchange ideas.”

“One of the things that I would like to emphasize here is: Who is the hero in this story? I think the hero, from my point of view, is the farmer who is producing the food and creating all these jobs.”

While the Kingdom is known for its date production and exports, the country cultivates much more than the local delicacy, said Al-Khateeb. Saudi Arabia is currently producing 10.6 million tons of food, regardless of water scarcity, infertile soil, and high desert temperatures. He stated that the country is also producing 10 million tons of fertilizer, part of which is exported around the world.

He said: “For instance, we are now producing more than 1.1 million tons of poultry. There are more than 375,000 tons of eggs. There are 3 million tons of vegetables produced here in Saudi Arabia, representing almost 80 percent of our self-sufficiency, using the most modern technology in vegetable production around the world. And what we are looking for is much more than that. Now we have put (forward) the advanced agricultural strategy for targeting unique production systems in Saudi Arabia.”

He cited the ministry’s work with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology for algae production as a feeding source for animals and fish. “One of the biggest companies in the world for fish aquaculture production is here in Saudi Arabia,” he explained. “They are, alone, producing 70,000 tons of fish and shrimp and they are following the highest standards in the world for production, for safety, for quality.”

Al-Khateeb added: “This is what we are looking for in our future: targeting innovative technologies as a key driver for production in Saudi Arabia because of our scarce natural resources and the harsh environment.”

Two of the biggest emerging technologies for food production that are predicted to revolutionize global systems are cellular or cultured agriculture and plant-based meat alternatives — two areas where the Kingdom is working to adopt sustainable practices.

“Saudi Arabia now (has) the chance to be a leader in this sector, but not in the business as usual of production … if you look (to) the future, you do not know where the world will go. Maybe later on we will eat cultured meat instead of cow meat, and this is what is happening now. It’s in the market, and there are some countries now investing in such a thing,” Al-Khateeb said.