How Saudi Arabia is promoting healthy diets and sustainability using plant-based alternatives
RIYADH: Just a few years ago, visitors to Saudi Arabia would never have imagined eating a vegetarian Nigerian tuna dish or a meatless shawarma. Thanks to new investments in agricultural technology, these plant-based alternatives are now firmly on the menu.
As the movement towards meat-free eating gains momentum in response to growing environmental and health concerns, the Kingdom's public and private sectors are working together with the aim of producing food more sustainably.
“Taking action on plant-based products is essential to promoting environmental sustainability,” Faisal Al-Saghir, co-founder and general manager of Saudi brand Ayla's Choice, told Arab News.
Ayla's Choice co-founder and general manager Faisal Al-Saghir says the company's goal is to provide consumers with healthy alternatives to animal products. (supplied)
“Conserving resources, promoting human health, ensuring food security, and even economic opportunities as well – and also building resilience to climate change. This is what we are trying to do with agriculture.”
“By making conscious choices to incorporate more plant-based options into our diets and lifestyles, we can contribute to positive change and create a healthier, more sustainable society.”
Since the launch of the Saudi Green Initiative in March 2021, the Kingdom has witnessed significant changes due to its commitment to enhancing food security, promoting sustainable agriculture, and adapting to evolving food trends.
Recognizing the vulnerabilities in the global supply chain, the Kingdom's investment in innovation and diversification in the food industry also aims to achieve a degree of self-sufficiency in meeting the nutritional needs of the population.
Last year, one of Saudi Arabia's highly anticipated mega projects, NEOM, announced its collaboration with a Dutch greenhouse company to form a horticultural oasis outside the urban city. (supplied)
This is partly due to government initiatives, new technological advances, and shifts in consumer preferences.
About a year ago, the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture signed agreements with the Council of Cooperative Societies, the Saudi Greenhouse Management and Agricultural Marketing Company, and the Isla Choice Company for the development of plant foods.
Through these agreements, the Ministry aims to promote a culture of healthy eating, provide high-quality homemade vegetarian and vegan alternatives, and benefit from advanced technologies for producing meat and dairy alternatives.
These deals will also help modernize agricultural and marketing systems, enhance food security, enhance environmental sustainability, and contribute to the comprehensive development of the agricultural sector in the Kingdom.
Ayla's Choice is passionate about creating sustainable, local plant-based products. (supplied)
According to Al-Sagheer, Ayla Choice is the first company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to obtain a license from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to produce plant products, paving the way for more licenses and investment opportunities.
The company's goal is not to promote a diet completely free of meat and dairy, but rather to provide consumers with healthy alternatives to animal products.
At a recent workshop held in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the company showcased innovative products, including truffle and olive caviar, carrot-based smoked salmon tartlets, tomato tuna nigiri, and eggplant unagi nigiri.
At a recent workshop organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Ayla's Choice showcased innovative meals including truffle and olive caviar, carrot-based smoked salmon tartlets, tomato tuna nigiri, and eggplant unagi nigiri. (supplied)
He said: “We are keen to explore collaboration opportunities for sustainability planning initiatives, including setting targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, through conserving water resources, preserving biodiversity, and participating in government-led working groups or task forces focused on on sustainable food systems. Little.
He added that the company aims through this to “provide expertise and inputs from our sites in the plant sector and the agricultural sector to enhance food security in Saudi Arabia.”
So far, cooperation is underway with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the Ministry of Economy and Planning and individual companies to initiate joint projects that ensure the availability of high-quality food free of meat and dairy products.
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The Saudi Greenhouse Management and Agricultural Marketing Company – also known as Al-Rasheed Greenhouses – is one of the largest agricultural and horticultural companies in the GCC region, with more than 40 years of experience in the sector.
The company operates in nine locations, managing more than 90 hectares of greenhouses and an additional 27 hectares of new high-tech greenhouse expansions across the Kingdom. It is the largest supplier of fresh produce to major retailers in Saudi Arabia
“The company has full control over the entire supply chain of fresh produce, from designing the appropriate greenhouse specifications for the appropriate growing region in the Kingdom, to getting fresh produce onto shelves to consumers,” Abdullah Al-Rasheed, the company’s senior project manager, told Arab News.
The sustainable farm in the Asir region, which recently entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest in the world, uses treated water to irrigate crops grown on an area of 3.2 million square metres. (supplied)
“So logistics consultations related to crops and production management are done under the supervision of our company.”
Al Rasheed Houses recently signed an agreement to grow and supply plant-based ingredients to Isla Choice for use in its products, such as lion’s mane mushrooms, a meat-free alternative to steak.
Al-Sagheer hopes the partnership will encourage local farmers in Saudi Arabia to consider tailoring their crop choices to meet the growing demand in the plant-based food industry, resulting in a better return on their produce and reducing waste in the process.
“This could have significant benefits for both farmers and food security in Saudi Arabia,” he said. “Our goal is to diversify food sources by working with local farmers to develop plant-based products from the abundance of local produce.”
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The food sector in Saudi Arabia has made great strides in the field of sustainability. Last year, one of the Kingdom's highly anticipated mega projects, NEOM Smart City, announced a new collaboration with a Dutch greenhouse company to build a self-sufficient horticultural oasis.
Using revolutionary technologies, the partnership with Van der Hoeven will allow the region's desert landscape, scorched by high temperatures and dried by lack of rainfall, to flourish with locally grown produce.
SweGreen, a Stockholm-based agricultural company and vertical farming venture, is another potential partner.
Using soilless farming technology and AI-driven monitoring systems, the company has enabled local supermarkets to grow crops in the middle of the store with absolute control over the quality and growing process.
SweGreen has made international headlines with its world-leading in-store agricultural solutions and AI-based digital guidance and monitoring system. (supplied)
Scott A. said: “SweGreen has set four world industry records in terms of efficiency and sustainability in agriculture,” Ellis, the company’s communications advisor, told Arab News.
“The first is a world record for the lowest carbon dioxide emissions. This is measured per kilogram of lettuce produced, compared to the environmental impact of transporting food across the planet and the associated waste.
“Of course, this reduces the carbon footprint and also contributes to creating a more sustainable planet,” Ellis added.
The technology also achieved the lowest rate of energy consumption and the highest production efficiency. But what is most important for Saudi Arabia is that this technology has achieved the highest results in terms of water conservation, as it requires only 1.3 liters per kilogram of vegetables.
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“Production takes place 24 hours a day, all year round, regardless of the weather outside,” Ellis said.
“So, in short, the vegetables with the highest nutritional content and maximum integrity and taste have the least need for resources, including large resources such as water, energy and space, and leave a soft climate footprint.”
The revolutionary farm-to-table system has been installed in 32 locations around the world, with plans for more.
The vegan company's goal is not to promote a meat- and dairy-free diet, but to provide healthy alternatives to the general population. (supplied)
Ellis believes the technology will benefit local farmers by enhancing local cooperation and will encourage consumers to buy healthier foods, leading to an increase in overall population health.
“SweGreen strongly supports working in a flexible manner with Saudi Arabia to meet the needs and goals of Vision 2030,” he said.
For Al-Saghir and others in the Saudi business community, partnerships with companies like Swegreen are a fruitful and mutually beneficial way to promote good health and environmental sustainability.
He said: “By leveraging international expertise, we can easily meet the challenge of production when addressing sustainability goals and enhancing food security in Saudi Arabia.”
