RIYADH:聽海角直播's聽fish production is expected to reach 119,000 tons by the end of this year,聽moving聽the Kingdom close to聽60 percent of self-sufficiency, said the minister of environment, water, and agriculture. 聽聽
Speaking to聽Al聽Ekhbariya聽news channel,聽Abdulrahman Al-Fadley聽revealed production has risen nearly fourfold since 2016, when 32,000 tons were produced.
He also said around there are 235 fishing projects in the Kingdom, compared to 67 projects in 2016 four years ago.聽
As聽the Kingdom聽has localized the fishing profession,聽over聽2,000聽Saudi fishermen are today聽able聽to practice the job聽while聽exporting to more than 35 countries around the world.聽
The ministry announced earlier this year that 海角直播 is working to establish a regional聽center聽for fisheries as part of its bigger goals to diversify the economy and address food security.聽聽
Al-Fadley said the government is keen to develop fish farming, describing it as one of the fastest-growing food sectors in the world.
海角直播 launched聽the National Fisheries Development Program in 2015 to enhance the development of the Kingdom's fisheries sector.聽
A top聽Saudi聽official聽earlier聽revealed to Arab News that they聽plan to attract over $4 billion of foreign and local investment into聽the聽fishing industry as part of the Kingdom鈥檚 Vision 2030 scheme to diversify the economy.聽
The man tasked with making this happen over the next eight years is NFPD CEO聽Ali Al-Shaikhi. His聽organization聽is mandated by the government to expand the country鈥檚 seafood industry, boost food security and grow agricultural exports.聽
鈥淭his was an idea that in 2010 transformed into an initiative. A steering committee hired KPMG to study the potential of the Kingdom鈥檚 seafood sector,鈥 he聽told Arab News.聽
The committee also visited many countries to study aquaculture, and they assessed potential Saudi seafood production, at over one million tons.聽The CEO said聽a聽market study discovered that KSA seafood consumption per capita was less than 50 percent of the global average 鈥 11 kilos rather than 24.聽
鈥淔our years later, the committee鈥檚 report spelled out a clear strategy 鈥 to improve our aquaculture production facilities, and to increase production capacity. This was approved by the Royal Court, which assigned a program to implement the strategy,鈥澛爏aid Al-Shaikhi.聽
