Follow Innovate UK on the AgriFood Tech Innovation Global Expert Mission to Saudi Arabia
From the 5-12 May 2025, a delegation of UK AgriFood experts will be visiting Saudi Arabia to explore collaborating with innovators on controlled environment agriculture, precision breeding, alternative proteins and aquaculture.
Joint strategies for food and water resilience
This Global Expert Mission will help to strengthen food and water security between the UK and Saudi Arabia through strategies such as innovative farming practices, increasing livestock production, and reducing food wastage. At the same time, the mission will focus on creating sustainable food production systems where healthy, high-quality food is a top priority—delivering benefits for both countries. It will also explore solutions to meet the growing demand for plant-based and alternative protein foods.
AgriFood technology challenges and opportunities
The Innovate UK and Innovate UK Business Connect AgriFood teams have identified the following challenges and opportunities that innovators in the UK and Saudi Arabia can collaborate on:
- Controlled environment agriculture and precision breeding – Cultivated areas for crops are small in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and therefore increase farming to localise food production my managing the limited supply of fresh groundwater, producing better forage crops for livestock feed and mitigating the impact of plant disease/pests that effects crop yields.
- Precision agriculture and livestock – Increase production of red meat using automation and robotics for crops, improving soil health and implementing high quality fertiliser systems, use innovative land monitoring and sustainability practices to reduce food wastage and prevent diseases in livestock.
- Alternative proteins including plant, fermentation and cultivated meat – Create a diverse food production supply chain of food that is grown locally which meets sustainability goals and addresses consumer demands
- Aquaculture – Increase production of high-quality fish to strengthen food security by implementing new farming technologies.
Global Expert Mission highlights
During this visit to Saudi Arabia, the delegation will tour a variety of places and meeting with several organisations throughout Saudi Arabia. The below agenda highlights the key moments from the trip that will help accelerate innovative collaborations between the UK and Saudi Arabia:
- 5 May: Visit to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
The delegation will meet with the KAUST reps to learn about the wider innovation challenges and opportunities in the Kingdom with a focus on their flagship programmes including the Centre for Desert Agriculture and the Aquaculture Development Programme. In addition, the delegation will meet with the Saudi AgriFood Tech Alliance (SAFTA) to engage with the wider businesses sector. - 6 May: Visit to National Aquaculture Group (NAQUA)
The NAQUA is the largest aquaculture farm in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. - 7 – 8 May: Meeting with Topian
The delegation will travel to the Northern region of Saudi Arabia to meet with Topian the NEOM food company to understand the Kingdoms long term strategy/ambition in sustainable agriculture and novel foods. - 11 – 12 May: Explore collaborating with innovative AgriFood and Agri-Tech companies
The team will be in Riyadh to meet with leading livestock, dairy and precision agriculture companies in KSA including meeting with several important AgriFood stakeholders from innovative organisations including:
About Global Expert Missions (GEMs)
GEMs are funded by Innovate UK and designed to build international collaborations with governments, societies, enterprises, institutions, and people from every corner of the globe. With global challenges requiring international perspectives, the programme aims to support the UK Government’s ambition to be the international partner of choice and a global hub for innovation by 2035.
About AgriFood
Our AgriFood team helps organisations interested in AgriFood innovation access the expert information, funding and connections needed to drive change. Our team of livestock, aquaculture, food and crop experts support businesses of all sizes; locally, nationally and globally.
Follow us
The Innovate UK team is looking forward to expanding international collaborations with Saudi Arabia. Use the #UKKSAAgriGEM #GlobalExpertMission hashtags for any LinkedIn social media posts that you share.
Related programme
Global Expert Missions
Global Expert Missions (GEM) creates global opportunities for UK research and innovation by forging strategic partnerships with key countries and businesses.