RIYADH — Saudi Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Mansour Al Mushaiti and South Korea's Vice Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Park Beom-su, laid the foundation jointly for a smart agriculture complex project in Riyadh on Monday. The initiative aims to enhance agricultural production, improve resource efficiency, and strengthen cooperation in smart farming. Al Mushaiti stated that the project represents a new turning point in the journey of modern agriculture. It is the result of integrated and collaborative efforts to foster innovation in the agricultural sector, contributing to food security and sustainable development in the Middle East. Al Mushaiti said the joint Saudi-Korean project reflects Korea's remarkable technological advancements in agriculture. It combines the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the Internet of Things, and vertical farming to effectively and innovatively address contemporary agricultural challenges. The project is expected to increase productivity and improve crop quality, positively impacting the lives of both farmers and consumers. The project, which covers a total area of 4,000 square meters, is located at the National Agricultural and Animal Resources Research Center. It houses a vertical farm for growing leafy greens, strawberries, and mushrooms that utilizes advanced container farming. It also includes a greenhouse equipped with the latest Korean agricultural technologies, which contribute to reducing water consumption, optimizing fertilizer use, and increasing production. The project relies on AI systems to regulate water quantities, collect data, and analyze it to provide recommendations for suitable crops in vertical farming systems. Additionally, it features a mobile farming system that increases production by more than double compared to traditional greenhouses. AI-powered agricultural robots are also utilized for data collection and analysis, facilitating and expediting agricultural service and harvesting processes
