The Kingdom's agriculture sector is expected to generate SR46 billion investment opportunities for national and international investors to fund the country's various agricultural projects in 2010, according to a high-ranking official of Riyadh Exhibition Company (REC). “Investment prospects in Saudi Arabia's agriculture sector have improved significantly as a result of government initiatives to develop key infrastructure facilities, particularly in the area of water networking,” said Khalid Daou, REC's Saudi Agriculture Project Manager. Moreover, the agriculture industry has sustained a robust annual growth of up to eight percent, creating a truly vibrant market for various agricultural products, technology and services, he said. The Saudi government's expenditure figure that has been a crucial factor for driving investors' interest in the agriculture sector stood at SR46 billion allocated for the agriculture, water and infrastructure sectors, representing a 30 percent increase compared to last year. This allocation will be used to improve water resources, dams, wells and other infrastructure facilities. “It is a highly encouraging trend buoyed by proactive government efforts to enhance the country's investment landscape,” he said. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC)-World Bank annual “Doing Business” report issued for 2010, the Kingdom has been rated as the 13th most economically competitive country in the world. REC is organizing Saudi Agriculture 2010 – the 29th International Agriculture, Water & Agri-Industry Show from October 4 to 7 at the Riyadh International Exhibition Centre. Saudi Agriculture 2010 will be the region's largest business-to-business event for the agriculture sector.
