JAZAN: Efforts are underway to increase the number of coffee trees in the southern governorate of Al-Dayer to a million by 2030, from the current amount of 158,000.
The push comes as the annual Coffee Beans Festival takes place in Jazan for the seventh time.
The event, which ends on Feb. 4, brings together nearly 200 farmers. It has expanded this year to include a coffee street, a cinema showing films on coffee production and tourism activities that underline the historical importance of coffee bean cultivation in the region.
The governor of Al-Dayer, Nayef bin Lebdah, said that the finest types of coffee came from the south of the Kingdom, and that production had increased by 50 percent to reach 336 tons, an increase of 109 tons from the previous year.
The rise has been helped by an integrated government program covering the development, production, manufacture and marketing of Arabic coffee in order to boost the production efficiency of the coffee crop to 7,000 tons annually by the end of 2025.
Bin Lebdah said that Al-Dayer’s coffee farms were being supported by a sustainable rural development program from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the Mountain Areas Development Authority.
Saudi Aramco is also supporting Al-Dayer’s coffee industry through a project to raise knowledge and improve production standards among hundreds of farmers in Jazan, by providing tools and training in the latest coffee cultivation methods and planting new trees.
Bin Lebdah said the company had carried out four phases of the project and that by mid-2020 it will have planted more than 67,000 trees.
The next step was to double the current quantities of coffee production. “We are in the process of benefiting from 82,000 coffee trees that have not started production yet,” the governor told Arab News.
Push to increase number of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Dayer coffee trees to a million
https://arab.news/wr56p
Push to increase number of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Dayer coffee trees to a million
- The company had carried out four phases of the project and that by mid-2020 it will have planted more than 67,000 trees
Red Sea Global unveils scientific model for regenerative tourism worldwide
- The report details the model’s rollout at “The Red Sea” and “AMAALA” destinations, backed by studies covering 8 marine habitats
TABUK: Red Sea Global (RSG) has unveiled a science-based model aimed at achieving a 30% net positive conservation benefit across its tourism destinations by 2040.
The framework is now available for global adoption, according to a statement released by RSG.
Owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Red Sea Global is the multi-project developer behind ambitious regenerative tourism destinations like “The Red Sea” and “AMAALA.”
As a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, the company aims to diversify the national economy while setting new global benchmarks for sustainable, nature-positive development.
CEO John Pagano stated that openly sharing this detailed approach will help elevate the global tourism sector and secure a healthier environment for future generations.
The cornerstone of this initiative is the proprietary SIIG Model, a four-step framework:
• Survey: Establish biodiversity baselines and monitor long-term changes.
• Identify: Assess risks to priority habitats and species.
• Intervene: Execute evidence-based actions, such as regulating fishing and enhancing natural habitats.
• Gain: Measure and verify biodiversity improvements.
The report details the model’s rollout at “The Red Sea” and “AMAALA” destinations, backed by extensive 2022–2023 environmental baseline studies covering eight marine habitats and priority species groups during 2022 and 2023.
A major intervention is the 5,015-square-kilometer Fishery Management Area in Al-Wajh Lagoon. The plan reserves 38% of the area for priority conservation—protecting 62% of local coral reefs—while allocating 61% for sustainable fishing.
According to scientific modeling, eliminating fishing in high-protection zones could increase reef fish populations by 113%, sharks and rays by 72%, and marine mammals by 24%. These measures are expected to boost coral resilience, support ecosystem recovery, and protect vulnerable species like sea turtles and seabirds.
Ihab Kindi, RSG’s Red Sea Destination Executive Director, called the data-driven model a practical roadmap for large-scale marine recovery. The complete methodology is available in the new report, “The SIIG Model: A Roadmap Toward Achieving Measurable Conservation Gains.”
