As soon as prayers of Eid Al-Adha were over yesterday, people rushed toward the animal sacrifice ritual, the prime obligation of this Eid. Roads leading from the city into East Jeddah’s old cattle market are jammed with mammoth vehicular traffic.
It is ironic that prices of sheep remained stable and lower compared with previous Eid Al-Adha holidays, though there was marginal hike. There was a minor increase during peak demand season, but overall prices remain fairly stable amid of hike in most of commodities.
King Abdullah had ordered a subsidy of 50 percent for fodder that prevented the price hike and also helped livestock traders and farmers.
Many Sudanese traders, who dominate the cattle market, felt nervous on Eid at market as price dropped compared with last year. The price of sheep is much lower in Kingdom compared with other gulf countries. Size of weight also determine the price of animal.
The old cattle market in East Jeddah at end of Palestine Street was busy and hectic throughout morning yesterday with buyers and sellers. Residents were visiting different parked trucks that hold livestock to select their choice of animal and picked up, tightened with ropes and parked in rear of vehicles before being transported home.
Butchers were also standing along on the way to offer their services for price of SR 100. In other parts of city several buyers were spotted by offering sale of the sheep and goat on parked vehicles.
Local citizens and expatriates were performing their faithful rite of animal sacrifice upon eve of Eid Al-Adha according to their choice, tradition and financial position. The choice of animal sacrifice varies from citizens to expatriates. The price of local breed sheep that Saudi nationals prefer is high compared with expatriates who prefer imported sheep which is cheaper. However, this year, imported African sheep price is slightly high compare with local breed sheep.
White skinned Harri breed sheep is the most popular among Saudis in Jeddah and larger parts of Western region. They fetched prices ranging from SR 1,700 to SR 1,800 prior to Eid and was sold on Eid day at price of SR 1,300 to SR 1,400.
The Najdi breed, which is generally grown in Riyadh and central province, for which it derived the name Najd, is considered a superior breed in Kingdom and is expected to cost SR 2,200. However, it largely remained between SR 1,800 to SR 2,000. Nuaimi, sold in fewer numbers in Jeddah, was also fetching almost same range of price. These breeds have meat with delicious taste and has considerable weight in addition to a full complement of fat.
Gray skinned Sawakin, named after Red Sea port in Sudan, is another popular breed in Saudi Arabia that comes after all local breeds. Containing less weight and fat, it is mostly preferred breed by expatriate communities in Jeddah due to taste and price factors. Swakin was traded earlier in range of SR 1,200, but when local breeds prices fell drastically, the price of Swakin also dropped to range of SR 900 to SR 1,000 on Eid day.
Somalia breed also traded around SR700 to SR 800 and remained on the same range on Eid day. The Somalian breed was generally preferred choice of Indian and Pakistani communities due to its low fat and price factors. The meat of the African breed can be stored or frozen for longer period of time and the same is not applicable to Saudi local breed. Barbari of Australia and various other local breed of sheep are also widely available, but they didn't draw the attention of customers on Eid day.
Residents, who have detached houses or villas, can conduct slaughter in their houses, whereas those living in apartments are faced with the hassle of using the toilet as a slaughter site. If not disposed properly, the unusable parts such as rare flank and belly of the sheep could cause problems for the plumbing system of house.
Another major problem is chopping larger meat portions. Distribution also is an issue. Several butchers from the Indian subcontinent sometimes step in and take orders of sacrifice ahead of Eid and perform the job of traditional chopping of small pieces. They then hand over the bags of mutton to customers. Indian and Pakistan butchers charge something like SR 650 to SR 750 for the package that includes purchase of goat, slaughtering and butchering.
In Azzizyiah District, which is home to a large Indian and Pakistani community, butcher shops were busy late Thursday accepting orders for animal sacrifice for Friday.
To escape the hassles of slaughtering the animal, many expatriates prefer to remit money to their home countries and do the complete ritual over there and distribute the meat later among relatives and the poor.
Sheep prices remain stable and affordable on Eid Al-Adha
Sheep prices remain stable and affordable on Eid Al-Adha
Saudi Arabia, Estonia strengthen cyber defense cooperation
- Renowned for its leadership in digital governance, Estonia sees cybersecurity as central to its partnership potential with Saudi Arabia, building on years of regional engagement through its technology firms
RIYADH: Estonia aims to deepen defense, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence cooperation with Saudi Arabia as both nations look to advance technology‑driven defense and cybersecurity capabilities.
Hanno Pevkur, Estonia’s minister of defense, told Arab News at the World Defense Show in Riyadh on Monday that Estonia’s defense industry is eager to contribute to the Kingdom’s fast‑growing defense ecosystem.
“In the modern world, cooperation built on trust and technology is the best defense,” he said. “It is important for us to be here because we clearly see there is a possibility to increase cooperation, not only bilaterally between Saudi Arabia and Estonia, but across the region.”
At Estonia’s pavilion, a cooperation agreement was signed between an Estonian company and a Saudi firm during the show, he noted.
Pevkur also said Estonia’s defense sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, driven by technological innovation and partnership.
“Our defense industry is growing very rapidly, and we continue to see strong momentum,” he said.
He said Estonia’s strengths lie in digital and smart‑system integration rather than large‑scale weapons production.
“We will not build airplanes or tanks, but what we can do is integrate robotics, automation and drones to make existing systems smarter,” he said.
The minister said effective defense collaboration must link businesses and governments to achieve meaningful results.
“When we want to have real cooperation, we need it on all levels,” he said. “The biggest client for any defense company is the government, so we must treat this as one ecosystem where the public and private sectors work hand in hand.”
Renowned for its leadership in digital governance, Estonia sees cybersecurity as central to its partnership potential with Saudi Arabia, building on years of regional engagement through its technology firms.
Pevkur said several Estonian companies, including Nortal, have already assisted Gulf governments in developing open IT and digital‑service systems.
“As the most digitalized nation in the world, almost every service in Estonia can be done online, except getting married,” he said. “But with such digitalization, we also need strong cyberdefense.”
He said data protection and digital resilience are treated as matters of national sovereignty in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.
“Data is what we own. When someone steals that data, it becomes a serious threat,” he added. “That is why cyberdefense is not just about technology, it is about trust, sovereignty and protection.”
Pevkur said Saudi Arabia’s advances in AI offer promising opportunities for collaboration.
“I know that Saudi Arabia is doing great work when it comes to AI,” he said. “For us, as a small country with limited human resources, AI is essential not just for defense but for everyday life.”
Pevkur added that Estonia has launched a national AI strategy to promote responsible development and closer coordination between government and industry. One Estonian company, he said, has developed a system that allows a single operator to control hundreds of drones through AI.
“It is quite easy to put a weapon into the hands of a robot, but we also need to define who is accountable for its actions,” he said.
“The big question for the future is whether we can allow a war to be fought entirely by AI, or if humans must always make the final ethical decisions.”
He said in his conclusion that governments must reach a common understanding on how AI will be used and regulated on the battlefield.
