The Importance of Regional and International Partnerships to Develop Innovative Solutions

The Kingdom Affirms the Importance of Regional and International Partnerships to Develop Innovative Solutions for the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the Arab Region

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emphasized the importance of activating regional and international partnerships to develop innovative solutions that contribute to achieving integration between the water and agriculture sectors in the Arab region. This integration enhances water and food security and supports the sustainable development goals in the region.

This came during the Kingdom’s participation in the Third Joint Arab Ministerial Meeting of Ministers of Water and Agriculture, held under the theme “Institutional Coordination and Policy Coherence to Achieve Water and Food Security in the Arab Region”, in Cairo, Egypt. The meeting was attended by a number of ministers and deputy ministers of water and agriculture from across the region, along with representatives of several relevant regional and international organizations.

Dr. Suleiman Al-Khathib, Deputy Minister for Agriculture at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, stated that the Kingdom has successfully achieved a precise alignment between its water policies and national food security plans. This alignment has led to an improvement in local agricultural production, which has exceeded 16 million tons, and to a compound annual growth rate of 7% in the sector’s GDP over the past five years. Additionally, there has been a significant 52% reduction in the use of non-renewable water in agriculture and a 17% increase in irrigation efficiency compared to 2016 — reflecting a strategic shift toward sustainable resource management and stronger integration between water and agricultural policies in the Kingdom.

Dr. Al-Khathib added that building a sustainable future for water and food security in the Arab region requires a multi-track approach driven by scientific innovation, effective partnerships, and responsible investments that enhance the region’s ability to manage its natural resources efficiently and achieve balanced sustainable development.

He stressed the need for urgent action to develop approaches and mechanisms that strengthen water and food security in the region — starting with innovative financing policies to localize modern agricultural technologies, including the development of improved crop varieties, increasing the efficiency of irrigation and fertilization systems, and expanding climate-smart agriculture systems. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening rural economies and empowering women and youth.

Furthermore, Dr. Al-Khathib emphasized supporting small-scale producers, who constitute the majority in the region, by providing innovative, user-friendly, efficient, and affordable agricultural technologies that are easily accessible. He also called for improving agricultural marketing systems to ensure higher efficiency and added value for agricultural production, as well as enhancing Arab coordination to develop a roadmap for digital transformation in water and agricultural management to support smart and sustainable production.

Finally, Dr. Al-Khathib called for joint action to harmonize Arab water and food security risk management measures through interconnected early warning systems that improve crisis prediction and response, accelerate the governance of legislation supporting Arab agricultural integration, and strengthen the role of transparent free trade and environmentally responsible agricultural investments.