Malaysia’s natural resources and its well-educated population are some of the many credentials that keep the country in good stead, with priorities centred on preparing for the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 and steering the policy framework toward more inclusive political representation. The economy is built around global trade, and the government is working to encourage greater private investment.
Interviews & Viewpoints | OBG talks to Fahd Balghunaim, Minister of Agriculture from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014
How does the government encourage investment abroad while securing trade agreements with food exporting countries to ensure local food security?
Articles & Analysis | Bringing science to the fields: Promoting agricultural research, innovation and conservation from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014
Based on metrics such as the number of scientific papers published in the field, Saudi Arabia is the largest agricultural research centre in the GCC and one of the largest in the Middle East. While the level of research and development (R&D) activity in the Kingdom is low by the standards of major international agricultural research...
Articles & Analysis | Changing tactics: Winding down domestic wheat production in favour of imports and scaling up storage capacity from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014
As the Kingdom prepares to phase out domestic wheat production, the authorities are planning to double the size of strategic reserves by 2016 in order to ensure the country’s food security. To achieve this, the government is currently investing in a major expansion of domestic grain storage capacity. The authorities have also decided to...
Articles & Analysis | Focus on sustainability: Shifting production to less-water-intensive and higher-value crops from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014
Saudi Arabia is one of the largest producers and exporters of agricultural goods in the region. Although agriculture accounts for a relatively small proportion of GDP and overall land use, and although the Kingdom has a negative trade balance when it comes to agricultural goods, it is nonetheless self-sufficient or close to self-sufficient in...