Saudi to grow crops in desert oasis the 'size of 15 soccer fields': Report

Saudi Arabia has roped in a Dutch greenhouse company, Van Der Hoeven, to create a “synthetic climate” and grow crops in areas where agriculture is not possible. The kingdom is planning to build a horticulture oasis on the outskirts of its futuristic city of Neom, reported Bloomberg.

Neom is Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s $500 billion project aimed at building a high-tech city in the temperate northwest region of the country’s Tabuk province. Food security is among the priorities for the planners of the smart city.

According to Neom’s website, the city aims to “redefine the ways we produce, distribute and consume food”.

In a step towards this goal, Saudi Arabia is now coming up with a horticulture oasis in an area the size of 15 soccer fields. It is the biggest food-tech investment for Saudi Arabia who relies on food imports due to its arid land and extreme summer temperatures, according to the Bloomberg report.

As part of Van Der Hoeven $120 million contract with the Saudi government, the company will build design and



construct two test facilities on the outskirts of Neom. Van Der Hoeven will also provide service and operation of the facilities over multiple years, the report added.

“We are building a synthetic climate where outdoor growing is difficult,” Michiel Schoenmaeckers, Van Der Hoeven’s Chief Executive Officer, said in an interview.

For Neom, Saudi Arabia plans to use the desert as a testbed and provide more efficient solutions “to food production in water-scarce environments, developing scalable models for the rest of the world as climate change accelerates and arable land retreats”.

Some of Neom’s goals include becoming a “lighthouse for the world in shaping the future of food”, achieving more efficient and scalable food production solutions, supporting food security and self-reliance in Saudi Arabia, and empowering people to live healthier lifestyles.

Neom is the combination of the Greek word for “new” and the Arabic term for “future”. The project seeks to redefine the future of humanity using cutting-edge technology and sustainable living.