Bandar Al-Saqhan serves as the director general of the General Department of Agricultural Research and Extension at Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. He is also the founder of the Applied Agricultural Research Promotion Initiative at the ministry.
Al-Saqhan has played a significant role in developing the national strategy for agriculture in the Kingdom. He has also been instrumental in establishing and overseeing numerous ministry projects.
Notably, he has spearheaded the establishment of key projects including two research units for agriculture — using seawater in Jeddah governorate and regenerated water in the Asir region.
Additionally, Al-Saqhan has contributed to the development of research units dedicated to the cultivation of jasmine and kadi in the Jazan region.
With his extensive scientific and practical expertise, Al-Saqhan has served as a board member of the National Research and Development Center for Sustainable Agriculture, known as Estidamah.
He was also a national coordinator for Saudi Arabia at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas.
Al-Saqhan has participated in numerous domestic and international conferences, representing the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
He was a member of the Scientific Association for Agricultural Extension in Egypt from 2010 to 2011, and director of the technology transfer unit at the National Research Center for Agriculture and Livestock from 2015 to 2018.
Al-Saqhan oversees the media unit in the agricultural sector and serves as the supervisor of the award-winning “Your Agricultural Guide” app. This app received the 2023 Arab Digital Government Golden Award in the category of smart applications.
Al-Saqhan obtained a bachelor’s degree in agricultural extension and rural society in 1993, a master’s degree in agricultural extension in 2006, and a doctorate in agricultural extension in 2011.
