Lemon-flavored memories drive innovation on Saudi farms

Muhammad Al-Nwairan stands in front of a green citrus tree that will bear his first harvest of lemons in four months.

Al-Nwairan is a former businessman turned farmer, who has been farming land in Al-Ahsa, in the eastern deserts of Saudi Arabia, for the past 15 years. Now, due to climate change and water supply shortages, he is adopting new technology as well as a new crop.

The UN News team visited Mr. Al-Nwairan in Al-Ahsa, where he told us: “We are very proud of lemons in this part of Saudi Arabia. You can feel the citrus oil on your hands when you touch these fruits. The smell and taste remind us of our childhood, and now I have the opportunity to grow them commercially.”

Al Nuwairan looks out across his small farm located in an oasis near the city of Hofuf. About 120 lemon trees have been planted on an area of ​​about 1,000 square metres, providing a flash of green amid the sandy soil. This farm is approximately four years old and is ready to produce its first lemons.

And he said: “On my left are trees that have been irrigated using innovative techniques and on my right are trees that I have been watering by hand using a traditional irrigation method. The trees on the left are thriving more.” The difference in color, shape, size and durability is noticeable, and their robust health is due in large part to the way they have been irrigated.

Al Nuwairan Farm is experimenting with what is known as smart irrigation, a resource-efficient approach to growing crops. It is being promoted in this region by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Al Nuwairan uses an app on his smartphone to monitor irrigation and track and deliver the water the lemon trees need to thrive. The system integrates with weather data, so if rain is forecast, the app automatically stops the water flow.

Water stress

Water was once plentiful in oasis farmlands, but reduced rainfall due to climate change and the cultivation of water-hungry rice – a local specialty – has led to lower water levels, making water more problematic and expensive.

Al-Nwairan was forced to stop planting rice on another nearby plot of land when the water level in his well dropped to 300 meters below the ground.

Mahmoud Abdel Nabi, an irrigation extension expert at the FAO, said: “Smart irrigation can reduce water consumption by 70 percent and is more environmentally sustainable.”

Farmers currently do not have to pay for water, and automation (the use of automatic methods) allows them to economize on other resources as there is less need for workers to water trees, a laborious and time-consuming job during the extreme heat of the Saudi growing season.

Although this technology is advanced, it is easily available in the local market. Despite the need for financial investment in it, “It pays off in higher yields and lower wage bills,” According to Mr. Abdel Nabi from the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Land degradation

As climate change continues throughout Saudi Arabia’s desert lands and drought conditions increase, farmers are also battling desertification and loss of productive land. Excessive withdrawal of non-renewable groundwater also threatens agricultural productivity and food security.

Smart irrigation, said Jaafar Al-Mubarak, who works for the Saudi Irrigation Organization – a partner organization of FAO “It is part of an integrated response to climate change, which includes soil management and crop selection.” He added that such an approach “It can increase water use, but it also helps rehabilitate land and work against desertification.”

In December 2024, global leaders from governments, international organizations, the private sector and civil society gathered in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, under the auspices of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification to discuss solutions to drought, land loss and restoration.

Globally, up to 40 percent of land is degraded, with serious consequences for climate, biodiversity and people’s livelihoods. Like farmers around the world, Al Nuwairan uses his long experience and skills to increase the productivity of his crops, driven by necessity and opportunity.

And he said: “I am thinking of adopting smart irrigation throughout my farm to focus mainly on growing lemons, for which I have a ready market.” If other farmers follow his lead, water supplies will last longer in these arid lands, while agriculture will help slow desertification.