Achieving food security in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through innovation: Potential role of agricultural extension

In the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, food security will be a matter of concern for policy makers. In desert countries the food commodities are mostly imported from other countries as their local production is not enough to meet the domestic needs and Saudi Arabia has no exception. Most of the cereals and red meat are imported. Major limiting factors in agriculture production are land and water, such that by 2050, Saudi Arabia is expected to import all of its domestic needs. Meanwhile, there are many land and water saving technologies which have the potential to help produce enough to meet the domestic energy requirements. Promotion of traditional crops, hydroponics and greenhouse farming, seawater harvesting, investing in bio-salinity research and rainwater harvesting are among those technologies. Therefore, role of extension agent is critical to promote the innovative technologies as well as creating awareness among farming community to implement the guidelines to meet the country dietary needs. This paper suggests substitute expertise and methodologies that can be engaged by Saudi Arabia under prevalent situation, which can be helpful to expand national food fabrication to achieve food security in the Kingdom. Efficient role of agriculture extension is need of the hour that should be exploited and utilized in a precise and efficient manner. All the possible strategies related to agricultural extension for prevailing agricultural challenges in the Kingdom are discussed in detail. Keywords: Saudi Arabia, Food security, Innovative technologies, Extension services, Awareness, Energy need strategies