Agriculture Minister Fahd Balghunaim opened the Saudi Agriculture 2014, the 33rd international agriculture, water and agro-industry trade show, at the capital’s Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center here on Sunday.
The Director General of Grain Silos and Flour Mills Organization, Walid bin Abdulkarim Al-Khereiji, and Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah Al-Zamil, president of the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) were present at the inaugural ceremony.
The premier agriculture expo, with the participation of 350 exhibitors from 40 countries, will run until Wednesday (Sept. 10).
Ambassador of India Hamid Ali Rao inaugurated the Indian pavilion with the display of products and services from 50 companies.
Riyadh Exhibitions Company has partnered with Advanced Conferences and Meetings to organize the Saudi agriculture seminar series, providing the ideal platform to discuss the current and future overseas agriculture investment business strategies for Saudi Arabia, ways to improve the efficient use of available resources, and address the current trends in technology and the worldwide agriculture industry to meet the challenges and opportunities in the agriculture industry.
Beginning Monday, a two-day seminar session will be held to provide a closer look to the Kingdom’s investment plans, currently estimated over $12 billion for domestic agriculture projects and over $15 billion for global agriculture investments in nearly 35 countries to increase future food security.
Running till Sept. 9, the seminar will identify potential solutions to the Kingdom’s food security challenges and provide a deep insight on the government’s agenda for strategic investments abroad and offer opportunities to network with key industry stakeholders.
The seminar comprises four key topics: Agribusiness in Saudi Arabia and exploring future investment strategies, exploring future of greenhouse management and organic farming in Saudi Arabia, growing industries of poultry farming and aquaculture in Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia irrigation challenges and future water resource solutions.
The exhibition covers all aspects of the agriculture and food industries, from cultivation to management, production, packaging and distribution. The event showcases a variety of path-breaking solutions for the agricultural sector, including agriculture building construction, animal health and production, finance and banking, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, fisheries and fish farming, greenhouses, irrigation and landscaping equipment, and organic farming.
Held concurrently with Saudi Agriculture 2014 are Saudi Agro-Food 2014, the 21st international trade show for food products, ingredients and technologies, and Saudi Food-Pack 2014 — the 4th international trade exhibition for food processing and packaging.
Noted as the regional industry leader and being UFI accredited event, Saudi Agriculture 2014 has attracted high-ranking government officials, major producers, manufacturers, dealers, agents and distributors to explore new partnerships and growth opportunities within the largest and fastest growing agricultural market in the GCC. The exhibition’s platform is sure to benefit the industry leaders once again.
Last year, there were around 26,000 professional visitors, including high-ranking officials, major producers, manufacturers, dealers, agents and distributors looking to explore partnerships and growth opportunities within the largest and fastest-growing agriculture market in the GCC region.
A drive that is under way in Saudi Arabia to encourage businesses to invest in farming operations abroad could see the Kingdom improve food security and increase investment opportunities.
In order to reduce water consumption while protecting local consumers against global food price volatility, the Saudi government is incentivizing the private sector to invest in farmlands abroad, with the aim of importing products back into the Kingdom. The government is acting as a facilitator for the Saudi private sector, seeking land and agricultural investments, and providing funds credit and logistics.
Following this shift, Saudi Arabia is seeking to invest in 35 countries across the world; planting the seeds for fruitful partnerships and joint ventures with international agricultural companies.
With a population growth rate of 2.9 percent, product demand in Saudi Arabia is set to increase in the medium term.
According to the ninth development plan, demand for wheat, milk, eggs and red meat is expected to grow at an annual rate of 2.1 percent up until 2014, while demand for fruits and vegetables will increase by 2.6 percent, boosting the investment in the agriculture sector to rise by 6.6 percent annually during the same period.
Saudi agriculture seminar to address current trends in technology
Saudi agriculture seminar to address current trends in technology
Acwa appoints Samir Serhan as CEO in planned succession
RIYADH: Saudi utility developer Acwa appointed Samir J. Serhan as CEO effective March 1, replacing Marco Arcelli in a planned leadership transition as the company accelerates global expansion in renewable energy, desalination and green hydrogen.
The Tadawul-listed company said the appointment forms part of a structured succession plan approved by its board, taking into account the scheduled expiration of Arcelli’s contract in April 2027. Arcelli, who has led Acwa since March 2023, will remain adviser to the chairman to support an orderly transition, according to a regulatory disclosure to Tadawul.
The leadership change comes as Acwa — one of the world’s largest private desalination companies and a major investor in energy transition projects — continues to scale its international portfolio amid rising demand for clean power and water infrastructure.
Mohammad Abunayyan, founder and chairman of the board of directors of Acwa, said: “Acwa stands today as a Saudi national champion and a global leader in renewable energy, water desalination, and green hydrogen, and our position continues to strengthen.”
He added: “This structured leadership transition reflects the strength of our governance and the maturity of our business platform. Our strategic direction remains clear and unchanged. We are pleased to welcome Dr. Samir Serhan to his new role as CEO of Acwa.”
Serhan joined Acwa last year as president of Saudi Arabia and Middle East, where he was responsible for seven key markets, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Iraq.
“I’m honored to lead Acwa at a pivotal moment as the company accelerates profitable global growth in renewable energy, water desalination, and green hydrogen solutions — including advancing green hydrogen to decarbonize heavy industries — to deliver scalable, sustainable impact worldwide,” said Serhan.
Previously, Serhan served as chief operating officer of the US-based company Air Products, where he had global responsibility for operational business and project execution with profit and loss accountability across the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India. He also led technology, global engineering, manufacturing and equipment functions at Air Products.
Earlier in his career, he was president, Hydrogen for Praxair. For 14 years prior, he worked at the Linde Group in leadership positions in the US and Germany, culminating in his role as managing director of Linde Engineering.
Acwa, recently rebranded from ACWA Power, is a key developer of power and water infrastructure projects under public-private partnership models and plays a central role in Saudi Arabia’s energy transition strategy.
