Although renewable water resources are scarce, in 2012 agriculture consumed almost 17.5 billion cubic meters of water, or 84 percent of the kingdom’s total consumption. Most of the quantity came from unrenewable resources, and 80 percent of it was used in the production of only three crops: cereals, feed, and dates. Groundwater overdraft in the last four decades has led to negative consequences, especially an ongoing decline in groundwater levels at the main strata – levels in some regions have become too critical to allow economically feasible draft in the future, while underwater quality has often become saltier at larger depths as seawater has crept in, making groundwater treatment for drinking purpose costlier.

 

There are chances for developing agriculture in Saudi Arabia in tandem with plans to preserve groundwater sources, including more reliance on treated sewage, which amounted to almost 3.6 million cubic meters daily in 2012, with only 17 percent (0.6 million cubic meters daily) having been recycled. Following the drying up of natural springs that nourished Al-Ahsa’s oasis for many centuries, the Irrigation and Drainage Authority in Al-Ahsa provides leading experience in exploiting treated sewage. The authority now oversees the daily distribution of 145,000 cubic meters of tertiary treated sewage. This totals to 60 percent of irrigation water supplied by the authority to 8,200 hectares of date farms, producing 120,000 tons of dates annually, alongside lemon crops. The amount is expected to increase to 450,000 cubic meters daily after current projects are completed. The remaining 40 percent of irrigation water provided by the authority now comes from groundwater and agricultural drainage. Certainly, treated sewage quantities will increase in the future due to more urban sewage because of population growth.

 

By 2012, 420 dams, with a total capacity of 1.9 billion cubic meters, were constructed. They are designed to either refurbish groundwater strata, protect towns, villages and ownerships from floods, or provide drinking or irrigation water supplies to nearby communities. The chance is there for enhancing exploitation of surface water held by the dams if assessment studies are carried out by consultative bureaus specialized in planning rainwater collection projects and carrying out agricultural projects that suit the region’s environment and climate. Documented scientific studies on world climate change and its effects on agriculture in the kingdom are not available. In recent years, abnormal climate conditions have been witnessed, including long-lasting dust waves and short-term rainy storms with strong and devastating floods.

 

A private company carried out a unique experiment 20 years ago by planting salicornia with seawater, and it benefitted from facilities and soft loans. The experience was successful, but the company deviated from its main target and the project collapsed. Yet, this experience can be built upon in developing seawater farming and selecting the crops that grow best in saline water.

Arid desert states face concerns of food security for their peoples, and they develop plans and strategies for providing food commodities, each according to their climate, water and economic conditions. The kingdom works on having a certain level of food security by sustaining strategic stocks of food commodities that can redress consumption needs for at least six months. Saudi Arabia considered several food security options and decided to follow three tracks at the same time: First, producing some food commodities domestically while taking into consideration the limitedness of water supplies and each area’s relative advantages; second, the private sector continues to import food commodities from abroad and sells them according to supply and demand mechanisms; and third, adopting King Abdullah’s Initiative for Agricultural Investment Abroad.

 

In terms of domestic production of food products, the kingdom achieved a good self-sufficiency level of domestic food products. The table shows self-sufficiency percentages of domestic food products. In 2012, wheat self-sufficiency reached 27.6 percent, but the percentage is decreasing and is expected to reach zero percent in 2016. This development is a result of a government decree aimed at protecting water supplies since wheat production relies on unrenewable groundwater. Generally, self-sufficiency reached 7.4 percent for cereals, 88 percent for vegetables, 57.4 percent for fruits, 117.7 percent for table eggs, 112.4 percent for fresh milk, 34 percent for red meats, 44.6 percent for poultry meat, and 37.9 percent for fish. Serious initiatives are underway to develop agriculture from traditional farming that relies on unrenewable groundwater to the so-called sustainable farming that largely depends on renewable water resources. The initiatives include providing facilities, aid and soft loans. But if measures are not taken for this shift to succeed, and if farmers are not oriented to plant suitable crops, while taking into consideration the economic value of each water unit and focusing on crops with low consumption of water and high economic value, the kingdom is expected to face difficulties in the future in sustaining those percentages while seriously seeking to develop sustainable agriculture.

 

For decades, the private sector has played a key role in the provision of food commodities through imports from abroad. These commodities include rice, spaghetti, sugar, vegetables, fruits, vegetable oils, red meats, poultry meats, and fish, among others.

Many Saudi businessmen and agricultural companies concluded partnerships with governmental and specialized bodies in water-rich countries to produce certain crops such as cereals, rice, feed and others and to export these crops to the kingdom. These partnerships were very successful despite there being major risks involved.

 

As a food importer, Saudi Arabia is influenced by world events, especially by political and economic conditions in producers of agricultural commodities and by the effect of climate change on food-producing areas. Droughts, floods, frost and other natural disasters can destroy agricultural products and decrease world stocks, causing higher world food prices similar to what happened in 2008. To protect itself against such upheavals, Saudi Arabia adopted King Abdullah’s Initiative for Agricultural Investment Abroad, which has made it possible to provide food commodities to consumers for well-adjusted prices and to create safe strategic stocks of basic food commodities. This could provide the kingdom with food security, guarantee an inflow of commodities into domestic markets, and secure stable prices yearlong. The food commodities in question include wheat, barley, rice, sugar, vegetable oils, red meats, poultry meats and fish. King Abdullah’s Initiative for Agricultural Investment Abroad is an ambitious initiative that seeks to conclude agricultural investment partnerships with governments. Its technical and economic feasibilities were studied after agriculture, trade and finance officials visited many agricultural countries rich in water resources, agricultural soil and trained labor. Many deals were inked with East Asian, African and North European countries, as well as with Argentina, Brazil and others. The Saudi government will provide various facilities, aid and soft loans to agricultural investors abroad. According to available information, the initiative’s outcomes will be encouraging and attractive to agricultural investment and will develop food security for the kingdom. For the initiative to succeed and for businessmen to import food commodities, both before and after the initiative’s launching, one element is still in need: the creation of strategic stocks to preserve these commodities long enough.

 

Percentages of Self-Sufficiency of Domestic Food Products in 2012

Source: Statistical agricultural figures in Saudi Arabia, Agriculture Ministry, Issue 26-2014

 

1- Self-sufficiency percentages of food products in Saudi Arabia are too low in light of the quantities unrenewable groundwater pumped out of deep strata. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of water consumed in agriculture and the quality of produced crops shows that cereal, feed and dates alone consume almost 80 percent of irrigation water.

2- Irrigation efficiency is too low (estimated at 50 percent), showing that consumed irrigation water is higher than the actual needs of plants. This is a hindrance to finding a solution to the ongoing decrease in groundwater resources in an arid desert environment.

3- A quick reconsideration of the crop constituents is needed in order to exclude crops with high water requirements and replace them with crops with low water require-ments and suitable economic and nutritional values. In addition, highly efficient irrigation systems must be introduced.

4- Our daily lives include severe squandering and waste in terms of eating habits. This leads directly and indirectly to water waste. Hence, eating habits should be reconsid-ered in terms of quantity and quality.

5- It is time to reconsider agriculture subsidies to encourage farmers who use modern, water-efficient irrigation systems, such as sparkling. In addition, low fuel prices should be reconsidered because they have contributed to unrenewable groundwater overdraft to irrigate open fields of cereals and feed.

6- Benefit per water unit should be enhanced; the return per cubic meter of groundwater should be specified for different crops.

7- Using renewable water resources should be encouraged, including treated sewage and surface water collected behind dams. New water resources should be considered, such as collected rainwater.

8- Enhancing food security by providing facilities and aid where possible to additional poultry and fishing projects, which are part and parcel of agriculture and do not threaten water resources. The kingdom is far from self-sufficiency in poultry and white meats.

9- The relationships between water security, food security and energy security in light of climate change, world economic fluctuations and political instability in many world countries should be studied.

10- Strategic stocking is a key aspect of food security and a security and social stability factor. Hence, strategic stocking projects should be given utmost priority in order to stock various food commodities for as long as possible – in any event, the stocking period should not be less than one full year.