The Middle East has been an important market for Korea’s growing agtech sector, said Park Beom-su, South Korea’s Vice Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA).
In the past two years, the region has accounted for approximately 60% of exports and construction orders of smart farms, driven by the demand for factory-style smart farms in the Middle East.
On April 21, MAFRA announced the construction of the Demo Smart Farm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“With the commencement of the smart farm construction, the ministry will strengthen cooperation further with the government of Saudi Arabia to ensure that export of Korean smart farms to the Middle East can be accelerated,” said Park.
This smart farm will serve as a foothold for Korea’s smart farm companies to enter the Middle East region.
It will be located in the National Agricultural and Animal Resources Research Centre, which is set to be a hub of smart farming in Saudi Arabia.
A complex and a hub
The smart farm in Riyadh will cover around 2,000 square metres and feature a multi-purpose complex with vertical farms and glass greenhouses.
It will also showcase a range of smart farming technologies, such as advanced agricultural robots and environment control systems.
The Demo Smart Farm is scheduled to be completed in December this year.
The project represents the shared goal of expanding smart farming, in turn enhancing the food security of both nations.
One of the South Korean majors participating in this project is Nongshim, best known globally for its instant ramyun products.
The food company announced last July that it planned to establish and operate a vertical farm and glass greenhouse hybrid model in Riyadh.
It said that it planned to grow leafy vegetables like frilled ice and kale will be grown in the vertical farms.
Additionally, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and paprika will be cultivated in the glass greenhouses.
According to the firm, it already has partnerships lined up with major retailers and e-tailers such as Carrefour, Lulu Hypermarket, Amazon, and Noon, to sell its produce.
Nongshim is part of a consortium with three small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
This included S’farm, which will focus on greenhouse operation and crop cultivation technology transfer; ioCrops, which develops AI farm management tech; and Pomit, a smart farm plant company.
In 2022, Nongshim won a bid to export its smart farm technology to Oman, which helps to cultivate corps in half the time needed.
