Two things prompted me to reflect more closely on grain, granaries, and agriculture in Saudi Arabia. In Ha'il, I looked out of my hotel window at enormous granaries. And when I look on Google Maps, I find these crop circles. By crop circles, I don't mean circles created by artists in the fields [1], which destroyed the grain. I'm referring to agriculture in the desert. I've selected an area west of Buraida International Airport. If you enter the coordinates into Google Maps and zoom out, you'll find these circles, and sometimes just semicircles. Vast agricultural areas have been created. Look at other areas as well. Some of these circles may have a diameter of 500-1000 meters. Please see for yourself [2].
Granaries have existed in Saudi Arabia for decades, but even before the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the granaries had already been expanded [3]. In the article "Wheat in the Kingdom," we learn that the General Food Security Authority (GFSA) "aims to ensure food security for its residents." Since they began increasing capacity as early as 2015, this can be described as prudent and forward-thinking in light of the market's problems. Some of the grain actually comes from Germany, which hardly exports any of its grain but uses most of it as animal feed. Ukraine, incidentally, exported about 90% of its grain (before the war!), with a large portion going to developing countries, but unfortunately, some of it was also used as animal feed. About six months ago, it was reported that the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC) launched the National Grain Supply Company (SABIL) [4]. "SABIL will manage 14 silo branches across the kingdom," of which Ha'il is one location [5].
Granaries have existed in Saudi Arabia for decades, but even before the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the granaries had already been expanded [3]. In the article "Wheat in the Kingdom," we learn that the General Food Security Authority (GFSA) "aims to ensure food security for its residents." Since they began increasing capacity as early as 2015, this can be described as prudent and forward-thinking in light of the market's problems. Some of the grain actually comes from Germany, which hardly exports any of its grain but uses most of it as animal feed. Ukraine, incidentally, exported about 90% of its grain (before the war!), with a large portion going to developing countries, but unfortunately, some of it was also used as animal feed. About six months ago, it was reported that the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC) launched the National Grain Supply Company (SABIL) [4]. "SABIL will manage 14 silo branches across the kingdom," of which Ha'il is one location [5].
The crop circles, or rather, the cultivated areas, consume a lot of fossil water, which, like oil, will eventually run out. This is why, for example, the cultivation of alfalfa was banned in 2019. However, the conversion to solar parks and wind turbine parks instead of using fossil energy sources like gas and oil will yield water, as well as the production of fresh water through reverse osmosis of seawater, will likely be crucial for water supply in the future [6].
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| Hay bales for farmers / nomads |
Links and Annotations:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_circle
[2] 26.328352685004266, 43.525903087687865
Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International Airport (مطار الأمير نايف بن عبدالعزيزالدولي)
[3] https://saudipedia.com/en/article/874/government-and-politics/water-and-agriculture/wheat-in-the-kingdom
[4] https://millingmea.com/salic-launches-national-grain-supply-company-to-enhance-saudi-food-security/
[5] https://sabil.com.sa/en
[6] Tim Schauenberg: How to Save the Planet from Devastation [Wie man den Planeten vor der Verwüstung rettet]
https://www.dw.com/de/sand-und-w%C3%BCsten-stoppen/a-60665068
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