News
15 November 2022Supporting the Water-Food-Agriculture nexus, and on the occasion of the Saudi Agriculture 2022, the Dutch companies Atradius, Greenmax, Royal Eijkelkamp, Taks, Treebuilders and VGE took part in a three-day mission to Saudi Arabia organised by the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) and Export Partner. The delegation interacted with high level policy makers and organisations who provided them with a broader perspective of Saudi ambitions and opportunities for Dutch organisations. The mission also included participation in the Netherlands Pavilion at Saudi Agriculture’s exhibition floor, which delivered greater business exposure.
An intense programme comprising several field visits, networking events and presentations of local market intelligence were awaiting the Dutch delegation in Riyadh.
The Saudi Agriculture 2022 took place from 17 to 20 October in Riyadh. Around 380 exhibitors showcased their portfolios and the event attracted 17,000 visitors from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The exhibition hosted nine country pavilions and the Netherlands Pavilion was one of the largest.
The Netherlands Pavilion was officially opened by the Saudi Minister of the Environment, Water and Agriculture, His Excellency Abdulrahman A. AlFadley, and Her Excellency Ambassador of the Netherlands to Saudi Arabia, Janet Alberda. The Pavilion was well visited during the fair, and Dutch exhibitors had a positive experience with interesting discussions and knowledge exchange with other exhibiting companies and international visitors. All in all, a great opportunity for the Dutch delegation to expand their business in the Gulf region.
In the Netherlands, companies, knowledge institutions and government organisations work closely together to develop the technologies and solutions of the future. We work across sectors and ‘connect minds’ to find solutions to current and future societal challenges. And for us, cooperation does not stop at the border. As a small country, we are always looking to team up with like-minded partners active on the crossroads of water, energy and food.
Erik Smidt
Dutch Agricultural Counsellor to the GCC Countries
During the International Agriculture Forum, coordinated by Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in Saudi Arabia, NWP took to the stage with a presentation on ‘Water-Agrifood challenges in arid regions – innovative solutions from the Netherlands’. We took this opportunity to showcase some of the latest innovative initiatives on Food Security, Water Management and Agriculture Development Sustainability.