Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng. Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadley has opened the 43rd Saudi Agriculture Exhibition 2026, taking place at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center from October 19 to 22 under the theme "An Integrated Agricultural System for a Sustainable Future". Government bodies, companies, investors and decision-makers from the Kingdom and abroad are taking part.

Touring the pavilions, the minister viewed sections on agricultural and organic food, poultry, livestock, mills, feed, animal health, aquaculture, food processing and packaging, innovation and entrepreneurship and veterinary services. He also witnessed the signing of agreements and memoranda between government, semi-government and private entities and international agricultural firms to support the sector and the use of modern technology.

Prince Saud bin Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of Riyadh Exhibitions Company, said more than four decades of success had made the event a leading international meeting point for expertise, partnerships and innovation, and that this year it focuses on technologies that lift productivity, use resources more efficiently and support food security.

Ministry spokesman Saleh bin Abdulmohsen bin Dukhayyil said agriculture's contribution to GDP reached 3% in 2025, growth of 5% compared with 2024. Self-sufficiency exceeded 100% in dates, milk and eggs and reached 80% in poultry, while fish farming grew 20% with output approaching 200,000 tonnes. Agricultural Development Fund financing exceeded SR6.5 billion in 2025. He cited initiatives based on renewable water such as the recently launched Lemon City, and the new Agricultural Indicators Center that tracks production, strategic crop availability and local consumption.

Alongside the exhibition, the Saudi International Conference on the Future of Agriculture is bringing together Saudi and international experts to discuss opportunities in the sector, advanced technologies, food security, climate, project finance, biotechnology, soil science and water management.