Tenders open for Saudi Arabia fish farm

SPA

• Aquaponics project planned for Jubail
• 18 aquaculture projects in H1 2024
• Part of $5bn food security project

Saudi Arabia has opened a tender for a fish farm on its north-eastern coast as its government tries to encourage more healthy eating and shore up food security. 

The aquaponics project to cultivate fish and plants in a four-hectare area in the Jubail governorate has a bidding deadline of November 27, the ministry of environment, water and agriculture said on the official Saudi Press Agency. 

Aquaponics involves cultivating plants in large fish tanks in which the fish waste provides natural fertiliser for the plants and the plants in turn help purify the water for the fish, avoiding chemical pesticides and fertilisers. 

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The Saudi government is trying to ramp up fish farming to meet its Vision 2030 development goals. 

The National Center of Fisheries said last month that in the first half of 2024 it issued 18 licences for aquaculture projects in the Mecca region, which includes around a third of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline. 

• Almarai’s $4.8bn push to advance Saudi food security

• Saudi Arabia’s food factory count rises to 1,300

• Saudi fishing industry bolstered by support plan

Improving food security and health are goals of the Vision 2030 economic development plan, which was launched in 2016. 

Projects under way include those by dairy company Almarai and Neom’s sustainable food production company Topian and the launch of 11 food clusters to expand domestic production.