Loans from the Agricultural Development Fund to farm projects in the Qassim region have exceeded SAR 9.6 billion, spread over more than 64 thousand loans from the fund's founding to the end of fiscal year 2025, according to figures shared at a panel during the Qassim entrepreneurship forum Riyad 26 at the King Khalid Cultural Center in Buraidah.

Speaking at a session on the financing challenges and opportunities facing small and medium-sized enterprises in the region, a fund official in Qassim said the loans covered greenhouses, poultry of all kinds, fish farming, agricultural marketing and agro-processing plants, as well as a number of food security projects.

He said the fund supports innovation in agricultural investment, helps start-ups grow and launch new products, and backs fields such as water, energy and production technologies, artificial intelligence and robotics applications, and modern agri-food technologies.

The official also answered participants' questions on investing in agriculture, explaining how to apply for financing and stressing the importance of feasibility studies and of identifying market and consumer needs.

The forum aims to connect entrepreneurs with financing and advisory bodies and to raise awareness of funding opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.