Markets Fourth Milling to launch retail IPO next month The two-day retail tranche of the Fourth Milling Company’s (MC4) initial public offering (IPO) will begin on October 2. The company will sell 162 million shares, or 30 percent of its share capital, on the Saudi stock exchange, it said in its prospectus. The price range announcement and institutional book building will commence on September […] September 6, 2024, 5:52 AM
Industry Oman wealth fund begins merger of food units Oman has initiated a merger between two state-run entities to support its food security sector. Oman Investment Authority, the sultanate’s sovereign wealth fund, has begun the initial process of merging Oman Food Investment Holding Co (Nitaj) and Fisheries Development Oman, the state-run Oman News Agency reported. The move is intended to lead to high-quality products, […] September 2, 2024, 6:55 AM
Agriculture Tenders open for Saudi Arabia fish farm 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, […] August 30, 2024, 11:39 AM
Industry Turkey gets $100m to support quake-hit agriculture sector Turkey has secured $100 million from the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank to support its agricultural industry, which was impacted by last year’s earthquakes. The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), a member of the development bank, has provided funding to the Development and Investment Bank of Türkiye (TKYB). The funding, guaranteed by the Ministry of Treasury […] August 16, 2024, 3:55 AM
Analysis Logistics Cold storage in hot demand across the Gulf Demand for chilled and frozen foods is rising across the Gulf, driving growth in the region’s cold chain infrastructure. Maersk, the Danish logistics company, says this demand – along with food security concerns – motivated it to open its first UAE cold store at Dubai Industrial City last summer. Population growth and concerns around climate […] August 14, 2024, 12:19 PM
Opinion Agriculture Agricultural monopoly is a dangerous game in the Gulf Food prices have risen dramatically, thanks in part to agribusiness giants August 1, 2024, 10:38 AM
Economy Tunisia approves $54m loan from Italy Tunisia has officially approved a €50 million ($54 million) loan from Italy to support its state budget for the current financial year. The loan was originally signed in April. It will be repaid over 40 years with a 31-year grace period and a zero percent interest rate. Tunisia’s current account deficit narrowed to 2.3 percent […] July 24, 2024, 10:54 AM
Manufacturing Agthia enters Saudi protein market with $25m facility The UAE’s food and beverages group Agthia is expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia, the largest economy in the GCC. The Abu Dhabi-listed company, which is majority owned by the Abu Dhabi government through the state investor ADQ, has opened a new AED90 million ($24.5 million) protein manufacturing facility in Jeddah to support growing demands […] July 9, 2024, 4:35 AM
Manufacturing Fall in Almarai’s Q2 revenue hits bottom line Revenues for Saudi Arabia’s Almarai, the Middle East’s largest dairy farm, fell 6 percent year on year in the second quarter of 2024, driven by seasonal changes in consumption patterns. The top line fell to SAR5.2 billion ($1.4 billion) during the April to June period, compared to SAR5.46 billion a year earlier. The drop in […] July 8, 2024, 4:19 AM
Analysis Agriculture Weather and politics keep pressure on price of rice The status of rice as a global food staple means that it is also a political minefield for producer nations. So all eyes are on India as rice prices fluctuate at around a 15-year high. Different varietals and markets command different prices, but trading on “contracts for difference”, which track benchmark prices, saw the cost of […] June 27, 2024, 10:50 AM
Opinion Agriculture Arab states must raise intra-trade to buffer against food shocks Gulf producers are neglecting their own farming potential June 24, 2024, 6:52 AM
Agriculture Drought pushes up sheep price for Eid in Morocco The price for a sheep in Morocco for the annual sacrifice at Eid al-Adha has increased on average at 10 times the 2.2 percent rate of inflation. A medium-sized female sheep costs MAD4000 ($400) as opposed to MAD3000 last year. This puts it out of range for many families in the country where a high […] June 17, 2024, 6:48 AM
Agriculture Oman to build agricultural city to enhance food security Oman will build an agricultural city as part of its food security initiative, a news report said. Saham Agricultural City will cover an area of 65 sq km, with 70 percent dedicated to agriculture and 30 percent to urban development, Oman Daily Observer reported. The city will use advanced technologies such as hydroponics, aeroponics and […] June 17, 2024, 4:41 AM
Analysis Finance Agriculture startups failing to cultivate VC interest Agriculture technology founders in the Gulf are having to resort to alternative sources of funding, as interest from venture capital entities dries up. The region is following a global trend. Startups in so-called “agtech” cumulatively raised $1.2 billion across 161 deals in the first quarter of this year, down almost 26 percent and 20 percent […] June 10, 2024, 4:12 AM
Agriculture Tunisia’s honey production hit by global warming Almost three-quarters of beekeepers in Tunisia have seen their honey production curtailed by climate change. The North African country has 305,000 hives tended by 13,000 beekeepers, according to Hassene Ben Salem, chief engineer at the Office of Livestock and Pastures. But he said extreme weather conditions have almost halved honey production, from an average of […] May 22, 2024, 6:18 AM
Agriculture PIF unit launches first Saudi coffee producer Saudi Arabia’s coffee exports are poised for major uplift as a unit of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, received approval to set up the country’s first coffee-production unit. The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu President Khalid Al-Salem granted the Saudi Coffee Company a license to establish a coffee-production factory […] May 9, 2024, 4:16 AM
Opinion Trade Food can transform the Gulf’s trade relations with Africa The Gulf's food safety expertise could become a vital part of its trade with African countries May 7, 2024, 4:20 PM
INTERVIEW Agriculture Emirates Development Bank to focus on farmers, says CEO Emirates Development Bank is prioritising food security this year, its CEO has told AGBI, and has billions of dirhams ready to lend to the UAE’s farmers. Food security is one of the five funding pillars of the state-owned EDB, which provides loans and resources to large corporations, SMEs and startups. The bank has a mandate […] April 30, 2024, 11:11 AM
Agriculture Baladna lines up $3.5bn Algerian dairy venture Baladna, the largest dairy food producer in Qatar, is exploring plans for a $3.5 billion venture in Algeria that will be based on a herd of more than a quarter of a million dairy cows. The company has signed a framework agreement with the Algerian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to set up what […] April 29, 2024, 2:24 PM
Manufacturing Saudi Arabia’s food factory count rises to 1,300 The total number of food factories operated by the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) has reached 1,300, across 36 cities. The increase signifies the growing capacity of the domestic food industry and its localisation efforts, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. Food industry companies have recorded a growth rate of more […] April 24, 2024, 4:27 AM
Agriculture Agricultural robotics centre planned for the UAE Khalifa University of Science and Technology and agri-food giant Silal plan to create a centre of excellence for farming robotics in the UAE. The proposed research centre, to be located at Silal’s Innovation Oasis site in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, will feature a dedicated autonomous greenhouse equipped with various robotic platforms, sensors and Internet of […] April 23, 2024, 10:28 AM
Food & Drink Saudi Arabia aims to double local honey production Saudi Arabia has invested SAR140 million ($37 million) to support its nascent rural honey industry, the government said this week. The country has raised subsidised production by 41 percent since 2021 and wants to double output by 2026. The Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, known as Reef Saudi, said its funding supported over 10,500 people […] April 22, 2024, 4:25 AM
