The Kingdom is set to establish a SAR 2.2 bn smart food city in the Najran Economic City, Smart Food City and National Food Security Committee Chairman Shaker Al Harthi told Asharq Business during the Najran Investment Forum. The project will be located at the Al Wadiah border crossing, aiming to strengthen ties with Yemen.

(** Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background and outside sources.)

What we know: The project will be developed on a 1 mn sqm plot over three years. It will feature a dry port, cold storage warehouses, livestock quarantine areas, and packaging plants. Further details on partners and investors were not disclosed.

This project joins other food security projects across the Kingdom, including new industrial clusters by Modon and a SAR 9 bn livestock city launched in January. An agreement to create a smart city dedicated to food security was also signed at the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Export and Agricultural Sustainability last month.

DATA POINT- The agricultural sector contributed SAR 114 bn (3.2%) to the GDP last year, up from SAR 109 bn in 2023.

On the Najran Investment Forum: The two-day forum wrapped up on Thursday, with 53 investment prospects valued at over SAR 639 mn showcased to public and private sector players, with 14 cooperation agreements signed, state news agency SPA reported.

Tags: