المملكة: Photos| “Al-Khudair”, “Bajali Almonds”, and “Al-Shadwi Coffee”… agricultural treasures displayed in Al-Ahsa

The Land Exhibition, as part of the activities of the First International Forum for Rural Saudi Arabia, witnessed a display of three agricultural treasures that embody the Kingdom’s agricultural richness and diversity: “Al-Khudair” from Jazan, “Bajli Almonds” from Taif, and “Shadwi Coffee” from Al-Baha.
While a number of participating farmers confirmed that their excellence in agricultural production is due to the great interest and support from the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and his faithful Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman – may God protect them -, in addition to the efforts made and continuous follow-up by Ministry of Environment, Water, Agriculture and Reef Programme.

Diversity of agricultural activity

In their interview with Al-Youm, the farmers explained that this support contributed to distinguishing their diverse agricultural activity and highlighting the role of agriculture in preserving the Saudi rural identity and local agricultural products.
They pointed out that the Saudi Rural Forum is an opportunity to introduce agricultural diversity in the Kingdom, exchange experiences among farmers, and highlight the role of the agricultural sector in preserving rural identity and achieving food security.

“Al-Khudair”… an agricultural heritage transformed into innovative products

Farmer Jaber Muhammad from Jazan told Al-Youm: “Here we offer the Al-Khadir product, which is a type of sorghum that is grown in the fall and harvested in December.”
Jaber explained that Al-Khudair is used to prepare popular dishes, and transformative products have been developed from it, such as Al-Khudair cake and Al-Khudair ice cream, which contributed to preserving this product and making it available throughout the year.

“Bajali almonds”… a treasure from the Taif mountains

For his part, farmer Muhammad Al-Maliki from Taif reviewed the stages of producing bagel almonds, starting from the “jihad” stage until obtaining the almond pulp, which is used in the manufacture of butter and flour.
Al-Maliki also displayed other agricultural products such as all kinds of sorghum, dried figs, and Medjool millet, in addition to the shea plant and black seed that he grows organically with support from the Reef Program.

“Shaddawi Coffee”…a journey from cherry to cup

Farmer Abdullah Al-Ghamdi from Al-Baha explained that he is participating in the display of Saudi Al-Shadwi coffee, reviewing the stages of its production, starting with picking the red cherries, through drying and separating the peel from the pulp, all the way to roasting at different degrees according to the customer’s desire.
Al-Ghamdi also presented coffee seedlings of different ages to those interested in growing it.
Farmer Abdul Karim Al-Obaida from Hail said: “I came to participate in this forum to display the Hail orange, which I am very proud of, as it is a symbol of authenticity and history that extends for more than 200 years.”

Unique agricultural ingredients in Hail

Al-Obaida pointed out that the return and expansion of agriculture in Hail was thanks to government support and the interest of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the Reef Programme, which contributed to the spread and distribution of their products throughout the Kingdom.
He added: “The Hail region is distinguished by unique agricultural components, including fresh water, fertile soil, and a moderate climate, in addition to the generous support from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. Therefore, we have distinctive agricultural products such as royal oranges (Kumquat) and various citrus fruits such as Valencia oranges, lemons, and Abu Surra.”

Exchange agricultural experiences

In turn, farmer Ahmed Al-Dossi from Al-Baha stressed the importance of exchanging experiences between farmers, pointing out that he produces aromatic plants and base oils, and offers about 60 types of medicinal plants such as lavender, basil, and rosemary.
Dosi also produces some grains such as sesame, moringa and fennel, in addition to prickly pear oil seeds.
Farmer Muhammad Al-Hawbani from Jizan concluded his speech, noting that he participated with more than 20 types of aromatic trees, such as jasmine, kadi, henna, daffodil, dosh, simran, and wormwood, in addition to the wild sakab that grows naturally in Jizan.
Al-Houbani expressed his thanks to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the Reef Program for their support to farmers.